Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have responded to notices issued by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said. The regulator said responses from all three actors have been received, while two of them had requested hearings. Both hearings were completed on Tuesday, and the FDA is now proceeding with the next stage of the matter.

The Maharashtra FDA had issued show-cause notices to Khan, Devgn and Shroff over their endorsement of the Vimal Elaichi campaign, alleging that the advertisement amounted to surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala. The regulator has been examining whether the campaign indirectly promotes a pan masala product through the promotion of elaichi, particularly since pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine is prohibited in Maharashtra under the applicable prohibition orders.

The notices sought explanations from the three actors regarding their roles as brand endorsers and asked why action should not be initiated against them. The FDA also sought supporting documents, including endorsement contracts, campaign briefs, remuneration details and information relating to due diligence carried out before participating in the advertisement. The actors were given a specified period to respond and were also directed to stop participating in the campaign and remove related promotional material from their social media accounts.

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The FDA has invoked provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including Section 24, which deals with misleading or deceptive food advertisements. It has also referred to Section 53, which provides for a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh for those responsible for publishing misleading food advertisements. The regulator has maintained that celebrities and other endorsers may also have responsibilities under advertising and food-safety regulations and cannot automatically avoid scrutiny by referring only to the manufacturer or advertising agency.

The action against the actors comes as the Maharashtra FDA continues its broader enforcement against banned gutkha, tobacco and nicotine-containing pan masala products in the state. The regulator has said its proceedings against the celebrities are focused on the advertising campaign rather than their individual status. Ajay Devgn has been associated with Vimal campaigns for several years, while Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff later joined the endorsement. Akshay Kumar previously stepped away from the campaign in 2022 and apologised following criticism over his association with the brand.

With responses from all three actors received and the hearings requested by two of them completed, the Maharashtra FDA will now determine the further course of action. No final decision or penalty has been announced against Khan, Devgn or Shroff so far. The proceedings concern the regulator's allegation that the Vimal Elaichi advertisement constitutes surrogate or indirect promotion of a prohibited pan masala product.

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