What next, Mr Bachchan?

From digestive pills to soft drinks and from chocolates to pens, he has done it all. Well, almost. Plus, he's the brand ambassador for Unicef and Uttar Pradesh. Face value: Addressing his audience, Mr. Bachchan gives his personal assurance and approval and says, "Aaj kal mein badi chain ki neend so raha hoon." (Stills from the Cadbury advertisement as aired on television.) The latest in Amitabh Bachchan's portfolio under the endorsements head is a commercial for Navratna hair oil for Emami, which has reportedly paid him Rs 12 crore for the campaign.Navratna hair oil might sound as downmarket as they come, but at the rate at which Bachchan is signing up for endorsements, there's a lot worse it can get. Think toilet cleaners for one - Bachchan doing an Aman Verma in the Harpic ad, giving you a demo of how the product works. We are told it kills germs. Now, we know it also kills your appetite, especially when shown during prime time. Next page: The endorsement spree which started with like consumer durables (BPL, anyone?), aerated drinks and cars (remember Versa?) turned into a maddening rush with just every other brand and product recently. Then followed pens, chocolates, housing, paints, clothing, banking, chywanprash and digestive pills. Other than leaving you breathless, there aren't many options the list leaves you with. So, what's next? The superstar has already refused to do an advert which he thought glorified the practice of dowry. Products which still don't carry the Bachchan stamp for an ISO equivalent are cosmetics, diapers, sanitary napkins, condoms, cigarettes, alcohol, underwear and boot polish. Now that we know the Big B doesn't endorse products he doesn't consume - he's recently turned out an offer for a tea advert - most of the remaining products can be struck off the list. That leaves us with boot polish. Maybe even toilet paper. So, the next time you turn on your telly, don't be surprised if you hear on a spoof show on some music channel: Mere pass ICICI hai, Versa hai, Sahara City home hai. Tumhare pass kya hai?