Pierce Brosnan says Indian paan masala brand 'cheated' him

Hollywood actor Pierce Brosnan has told Indian authorities that he was ‘cheated’ by a paan masala company that had employed him to promote its brand.

Brosnan had been asked to explain why he was in an ad for Pan Bahar which is linked with an addictive form of tobacco.

According to a senior official, the actor said the company, Ashok & Co, did not disclose the hazardous nature of the product.

"In a written reply to the Delhi State Tobacco Control Cell, the actor stated that he was cheated by the company as the latter did not disclose the hazardous nature of the product and other terms and conditions of the contract of advertisement," Additional Director (Health) SK Arora told the Press Trust of India.

In his reply to the legal notice, Brosnan also said that his agreement with the company was over and he was ready to extend all kinds of support and cooperation to our department against such campaigns, the official further added.

"He has given an undertaking in writing that he would never assist any company with regard to promotion of such products or other such harmful products in future," Arora said.

The firm has not yet commented on the actor's statement, but told the BBC in 2016 there was no tobacco in the product.

Indian law prohibits all advertisements of tobacco products.

Earlier, the former Bond actor had condemned the ‘unauthorised’ use of his image in the ad for Pan Bahar in 2016, soon after it first appeared.

His appearance in the advertisement had outraged many Indians who questioned why he was endorsing a product associated with cancer.

Brosnan had told People magazine that the contract was to advertise a single product - a "breath freshener/tooth whitener" that contained no " tobacco" or any "harmful ingredient."