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Pierce Brosnan is getting slated in India for advertising a breath freshener that leaves your mouth red

Pan masala is a mixture of betel nut and spices that leaves lurid red stains on the mouth after it is spat out.

FORMER 007 STAR Pierce Brosnan has sparked ridicule on social media by starring in a new James Bond-style spoof commercial for an Indian mouth freshener that left fans shaken, stirred and somewhat appalled.

In adverts for Indian TV channels, newspapers and billboards, the now bearded Brosnan cut a familiar pose as he grappled with villains, flirted with beautiful women and took a spin in a high-end sports car.

But instead of concealing a Walter PKK within his immaculately-tailored tuxedo, Brosnan was revealed to be carrying a can of pan masala – a mixture of betel nut and spices that leaves lurid red stains on the mouth after it is spat out.

“Class never goes out of style,” the 63-year-old Irish actor says at end of the commercial for the Pan Bahar brand, in a brogue not unlike Sean Connery’s.

The video advertisement was complemented by a front-page ad on The Times of India.

ET BrandEquity / YouTube

The new ad triggered a flurry of jokes, sarcastic comments and photoshopped images of Brosnan on social media, with his lips stained red or his head superimposed onto the torso of a tobacconist clad in a grubby singlet.

Pan masala is mixture of areca nut, pastes, spices and sometimes tobacco meant to refresh palates and aid digestion, but the makers of Pan Bahar say their product is free of nicotine.

With reporting from AFP. - © AFP, 2016

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19 Comments
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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:26 PM

    Can’t see anything wrong with it..no doubt a well paid gig and he’s entitled to make a few quid. After all..he didn’t manufacture the stuff.

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    Mute Justin Devaney
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    Oct 7th 2016, 2:43 PM

    007 million rupees

    85
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    Mute OU812
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:44 PM

    That’s about ten grand

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Oct 7th 2016, 2:53 PM

    Little known fact is he used to be a fire eater, he did it on the muppet show and burnt his lips really baddly as he was out of practice. Not a joke

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    Mute Daniel Patrick Carry
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:14 PM

    @Kal Ipers: He did it on the muppet show….apt.

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    Mute Scutterjocks O'reilly
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:59 PM

    @Kal Ipers l heard he tried to blow up a car and burned his lips on the exhaust pipe.

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    Mute Dave McCrea
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:32 PM

    Most random headline ever award

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    Mute Niall O Neill
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    Oct 7th 2016, 2:59 PM

    He could play Dracula now.

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    Mute Poole Hyde
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:46 PM

    Considering the ingredients maybe “betel”juice might be more apt…

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Oct 7th 2016, 7:42 PM

    Or Gerry Adams if he put on a pair of glasses.

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    Mute Dokod
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    Oct 7th 2016, 6:12 PM

    Walter PKK ???

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    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
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    Oct 7th 2016, 6:29 PM

    Indian imitation of the Walther PPK

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    Mute Dave McCrea
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:32 PM

    And the Most Random Headline Ever award goes to…!

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Oct 7th 2016, 3:58 PM

    One more time Dave…?

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    Mute Spilt Pint
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    Oct 7th 2016, 4:04 PM

    @Tony ah there’s always repeats on Dave!

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    Mute Dave McCrea
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    Oct 7th 2016, 9:37 PM

    @Tony Skillington: bwahahaha

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    Mute Red hurley
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    Oct 7th 2016, 5:22 PM

    You could have a pan bahar PARDY

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    Mute ⚡ SCO Electrical ⚡
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    Oct 7th 2016, 7:20 PM

    I’m sure that cost them a few quid

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    Mute Fintan Oflaois
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    Oct 7th 2016, 10:50 PM

    “Pan masala is a mixture of betel nut—”

    The betel bush does not produce nuts. Its leaves are used to wrap the areca nuts and spices in pan.

    I wonder did James Bond Brosnan try “rocket pan” while he was in Mumbai? I did. It left me BOTH shaken and stirred.

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