Maharashtra FDA has asked the three Bollywood stars to explain their participation in a Vimal Elaichi campaign
Bollywood’s biggest stars have found themselves on the wrong side of Maharashtra’s food safety regulator. The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement, alleging that the campaign indirectly promotes Vimal Pan Masala.
The notices were issued by Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on August 11. The actors have been given 15 days to explain their role in the campaign and have been directed to discontinue their association with the advertisement and remove related promotional material from their official social media accounts.
Why are the actors under the FDA scanner?
The three actors appeared together in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement in 2024. While the commercial promotes cardamom, the FDA has questioned whether the branding, presentation and wider market association effectively promote Vimal Pan Masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra.
In its nine-page notice, the FDA said the advertisement “prima facie” promotes the Vimal brand, which is mainly associated with pan masala. The regulator has raised the possibility that the campaign amounts to indirect or surrogate advertising of a prohibited product.
The action comes after Maharashtra imposed a fresh one-year prohibition on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of pan masala under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Mundhe seeks endorsement details
The FDA has also sought copies of the actors’ endorsement agreements, campaign briefs and financial arrangements connected with the advertisement. The stars have been asked to provide details of the due diligence undertaken before agreeing to the endorsement.
The regulator has invoked provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, including Section 24 concerning misleading food advertisements and Section 53, which provides for penalties of up to ₹10 lakh for parties involved in publishing misleading advertisements.
A familiar Vimal controversy
The latest notices also revive memories of the Vimal controversy involving Akshay Kumar. In 2022, Kumar faced intense criticism after appearing alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. He subsequently apologised, announced his withdrawal from the association and said he would donate his endorsement fee to a worthy cause.
For Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff, the focus now shifts to their responses to the Maharashtra FDA. Their explanations could determine whether the matter remains a regulatory notice or moves towards further action.
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