The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their advertisement for Vimal Elaichi. The regulator has alleged that the campaign amounts to surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, which is banned in Maharashtra. The action comes as part of the state FDA’s wider crackdown on gutkha and pan masala products containing tobacco or nicotine.
Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff under FDA scanner
As per reports, the show-cause notices were delivered to Ajay Devgn at his residence in Juhu and Shah Rukh Khan at Mannat in Bandra. Tiger Shroff was served the notice through his production company, Tiger Shroff Productions LLP. In the notice issued this week, the FDA has sought an explanation from the actors regarding their involvement in the advertisement, alleging that the campaign creates an indirect association with the Vimal Pan Masala brand and could amount to its surrogate promotion.
The notice stated, “Upon examination of the said advertisement, it prima facie appears that the advertisement promotes the Vimal brand, which is mainly associated with Pan Masala, a product prohibited for manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale in the State of Maharashtra for a period of one year, with effect from the date specified in the Prohibition Order dated the 13th July, 2026, issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety, Maharashtra State, under Section 30(2)(a) of the FSS Act, 2006.”
More about the notice
The FDA has invoked Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, which bars misleading or deceptive advertisements concerning food products. It has also cited Section 53, which allows for a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh against those involved in publishing misleading food advertisements. The notices issued to the actors are part of the Maharashtra FDA’s broader drive to strengthen food safety enforcement across the state.
Apart from these three actors, a legal complaint was filed against Salman Khan for promoting a pan masala brand and misleading consumers. A BJP leader and Rajasthan High Court advocate, Inder Mohan Singh Honey, had filed the complaint in Kota Consumer Court.
Earlier, Akshay Kumar was also a part of this brand’s campaign. Mukesh Khanna, who is known for his candid views on issues in the Hindi film industry, expressed his anger, criticising celebrities for doing pan masala ads for a large sum of money.
(With inputs from IANS)
