Thane: Bollywood celebrities are just as culpable, say flat buyers

It is not a company it is a familyrdquo ldquoOur name itself is Karrm we believe in doing good karrmhelliprdquo were the lines of a Bollywood actor who endorsed the Karrm infrastructure projectslsquolsquoKarrm ghar banana ke saath saath basaatein bhi hairsquorsquomdashwere the lines of a wellknown Bollywood actor who endorsed Karrm in an advertisementAdding to the roster a distinguished Marathi actor stepped in to endorse Karrm projects in a localised advertisementBabanrao Miratkar was promised a fourwheeler at the time of possession by the developer for which a certificate was issuedThe resonating call ldquoMake the Bollywood actors who endorsed Karrm projects accountablerdquo captures the voices of defrauded flat buyers These buyers assert that the actors who endorsed the projects assumed the role of endorsers for quality construction and actively supported the developerrsquos marketing initiativesIntriguingly Karrm orchestrated two grand film launch events one Marathi and one Hindi movie at their Shahpur site These events invited thousands of flat buyers providing them with an exclusive opportunity to partake in the Bollywood extravaganzaInvested based on allureBabanrao Miratkar 42 employed in a manufacturing unit succumbed to the allure of Karrm projects The extensive newspaper and television advertisements featuring renowned Bollywood actors and even a prominent Marathi actor endorsing Karrm Infrastructure were his drawBabanrao Miratkar a flat buyerMiratkar states ldquoI was captivated by these advertisements The stature of the endorsing actors held sway over potential home buyers influencing their decisions to invest in Karrm projects One advertisement even promised modular kitchens washing machines fridges and a chance to win twowheelers or fourwheelers along with gold worth Rs 75000 Lured by these assurances I booked a flat Today Irsquom left with neither a house nor the promised fourwheeler only a monthly EMI payment that remains unpaidrdquo Furthermore a prominent politician presented the ldquoBEST Township Awardrdquo in 2014 to Karrm developers cementing their credibility in the eyes of the publicMiratkar like numerous others contends that a case should be filed against the endorsing Bollywood and Marathi actors He argues that these actors by extolling Karrm projects at Shahpur Ambernath and Kelve Road in Palghar indirectly collaborated with the developers to deceive flat buyers of their life savingsFrom acting to real estateMiratkar further shares ldquoThe Bollywood actor hinted at his familyrsquos shift from films to real estate portraying Karrm Infrastructure was like family and aimed at constructing 5 lakh homes across Maharashtra The actor portrayed alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos vision of affordable housing I placed trust in the actorrsquos statements only to be swindled by his misleading wordsrdquoMega event at ShahpurMiratkar reminisces ldquoAround November 2014 Karrm Infrastructure Pvt Ltd arranged a grand Bollywood event at their Shahpur site Airconditioned buses ferried people from Kalyan Thane Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for the shows Over ten to fifteen thousand attendees gathered at the venue where sumptuous arrangements including lunch awaitedrdquoElaborating on the event Miratkar recounts ldquoThe developers had also ventured into film production launching a Hindi movie lsquoBadlapur Boysrsquo and a Marathi movie lsquoRazzakarrsquo The cast of these movies alongside revered actors from yesteryears graced the launch Notably these actors were also the brand endorsers of the projects Never did I anticipate that this event would become a platform for defrauding the common manrdquoStrategic marketing eventMiratkar adds ldquoThe eventrsquos purpose was to attract a massive crowd to their project site while simultaneously generating an audience for their upcoming moviesAttendees received project brochures revealing a clear marketing strategyrdquoPolice aversion to filing caseWhistleblower Parbhuram Giri shares similar sentiments urging action against the endorsing Bollywood and Marathi actors who supported Karrm ProjectsldquoI approached Palghar police station to file a case against the Bollywood actor who vigorously promoted affordable homes at Karrm Brahmaand Kelwe Road Palghar Most project investors trusted the developer swayed by the endorsement of these prominent personalities However the police officer insisted on registering the complaint against the developer asserting that the Bollywood actors merely endorsed the project He dismissed the possibility of lodging a complaint against the actorsrdquoMiratkar interjects ldquoI suspect that the developers are mere figureheads for the project while the entire endeavour belongs to the Bollywood actor He has garnered public trust and promoted Karrm Infrastructure as if it were his own project This deception has led the common man astray If the police are unable to act the actors should be held accountable under other laws including the Consumer Protection ActrdquoAuthenticity of endorsementAdvocate Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation comments on the situation ldquoIt is increasingly evident that actor endorsements might conflict with personal beliefs or societal values leading to adverse effects Celebrities aligning with products or services that eventually prove detrimental can mar both their reputation and the brandrsquos image Ensuring authenticity and transparency in endorsements is crucialrdquoPimenta emphasises ldquoWhen a respected actor endorses a product consumers associate it with credibility and quality assuming that the celebrity has thoroughly vetted the offering However misleading or harmful products damage both the actorrsquos reputation and the brandrsquos image Advertising Standards Council of India celebrity guidelines aim to ensure that brand endorsements involving celebrities are truthful and transparent Maintaining trust between celebrities brands and consumers is essential through implementing monitoring and legal regulations for endorsementsrdquoConsumer protectionAdvocate Mohini Priya a consumer rights specialist in the Supreme Court reinforces this perspective She highlights the importance of the Consumer Protection Act Section 14 which addresses unfair trade practices corrective advertising and compensatory measures The 2022 ldquoGuidelines on Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisementsrdquo further reinforce consumer rightsPriya added ldquoCelebrities endorsing products must ensure their endorsements reflect genuine and reasonably current opinions and they must fully disclose material connections between themselves and the endorsed productrsquos traders manufacturers or advertisers that could impact endorsement credibilityrdquoShe emphasised amid the contemporary marketplace consumers are advised to exercise caution verify sellersrsquo legitimacy and choose reputable developers with established credibility They should remain vigilant about the legality and infrastructural plans of projects not being swayed solely by celebrity endorsements 2014Year when Karrm developer received lsquoBEST Township Awardrsquo