Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff Receive Notice Over Vimal Advertisement

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a show-cause notice to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over an advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, alleging that it indirectly promotes pan masala, a prohibited product in Maharashtra. The nine-page notice, issued by state food safety chief Tukaram Mundhe on August 11, directs the actors to explain their involvement in the campaign within 15 days.

The three actors appeared together in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement released in 2024. According to the notice, the use of the Vimal brand in the advertisement could create an association with Vimal Pan Masala and potentially mislead consumers. The FDA has directed the actors to immediately stop participating in the campaign and remove promotional material related to the advertisement from their official social media accounts.

Mundhe noted that Maharashtra has a state-wide prohibition covering the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of pan masala. The notice states that if branding for an apparently separate product is intended to maintain or strengthen the identity associated with pan masala or tobacco-related products, the communication could amount to indirect or surrogate promotion of a prohibited product.

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The FDA has also sought copies of the actors' endorsement agreements, campaign briefs, payment details and documents showing the due diligence carried out before they participated in the advertisement. The notice invokes consumer protection provisions concerning misleading endorsements. Penalties under the cited laws can range from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, while endorsers may also face restrictions on promoting products for a specified period.

The issue has previously involved another major Bollywood actor. In 2022, Akshay Kumar faced criticism after appearing in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn. Kumar subsequently apologised, stated that he would not endorse tobacco products and announced that he would step away from the association, while noting that the advertisement could continue to be aired for the remaining duration of his contractual obligations.

The latest notice is part of Maharashtra's wider action against banned tobacco and pan masala products. The FDA has maintained that branding and advertising practices that could indirectly promote prohibited products require scrutiny. Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff will now have to respond to the allegations and provide the documents sought by the food safety authority before further action is determined.

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