The legal system has once again turned its attention to the accountability of celebrity brand ambassadors, this time with a high-profile case involving Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. In a significant development, the Rajasthan High Court has provided the actors with interim relief, staying an FIR filed against them in Bharatpur over a complaint regarding a defective Hyundai car. This decision brings to the forefront a long-standing debate: should stars be held personally responsible for product flaws when their role is merely to endorse a brand?

The complaint was filed by a lawyer who purchased a Hyundai Alcazar in 2022, a car that allegedly suffered from persistent technical and manufacturing defects. The FIR, which was filed under charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy, not only named top Hyundai officials but also implicated Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, who are the brand ambassadors for the company. The complainant claimed that the stars' endorsements had misled him into purchasing the faulty vehicle.

The Fine Line: Endorser vs. Manufacturer

The Rajasthan High Court's decision to stay the investigation against the actors appears to hinge on the argument that their involvement with the brand is limited to promotional activities. Lawyers for both Khan and Padukone argued that the actors have no direct connection to the manufacturing or sales process of the company. Their role is to appear in advertisements, not to ensure the quality control or technical standards of the products.

This case highlights a crucial distinction in the modern consumer landscape. While the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 has made celebrities and endorsers more accountable for misleading advertisements, it draws a line between a false claim and a product defect. The law states that an endorser must exercise due diligence to verify the veracity of the claims made in an advertisement. However, it is an entirely different matter to hold them liable for a mechanical failure in a product they have no hand in creating.

The Broader Debate on Legal Responsibility

The legal trouble faced by SRK and Deepika is not an isolated incident. In recent years, several celebrities have found themselves in hot water over brand endorsements, from the Maggi noodles controversy to cases involving fairness creams and herbal remedies. While courts have been stringent in penalizing misleading or false claims, the responsibility for a product’s physical defect remains with the manufacturer and the seller.

The Rajasthan High Court's decision seems to reinforce this principle. The court's order to explore mediation between the complainant and Hyundai officials suggests that the grievance is a consumer dispute that should be handled by the company directly, rather than a criminal matter implicating the brand ambassadors.

In an age where celebrities wield immense influence over consumer choices, the question of their accountability will continue to be a hot topic. While the law now demands more from them in terms of due diligence, this latest ruling serves as a reminder that their legal liability for product defects has its limits. For Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, the Rajasthan High Court's order is a major reprieve, but for the industry, it's a critical moment of clarification on the responsibilities of a brand ambassador.
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