Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff Get Maharashtra FDA Notices Over Vimal Elaichi Ad

Vimal Elaichi ad featuring Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff has come under scrutiny from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has issued show-cause notices to the three actors over allegations of indirect or surrogate promotion of a prohibited pan masala brand.

The notices were issued by the FDA under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe as part of a wider enforcement drive against prohibited tobacco and pan masala products in Maharashtra. The regulator has asked the actors to explain their involvement in the campaign and provide relevant documents within 15 days of receiving the notices.

The action centres on the use of the Vimal brand in an advertisement promoting elaichi, or cardamom. According to the FDA, the concern is not simply about the product shown in the advertisement but about the wider association of the Vimal name with pan masala in the Indian market.

The regulator has taken the view that the advertisement could create brand recall for Vimal Pan Masala even though the product featured in the campaign is presented as elaichi. The FDA has therefore questioned whether the campaign amounts to surrogate advertising for a prohibited product.

Why the FDA has questioned the advertisement

In its notice, the Maharashtra FDA reportedly referred to the presentation of the advertisement, the product name, the dialogue and the broader market context surrounding the Vimal brand.

The regulator said these factors raise questions about whether the elaichi campaign indirectly promotes a pan masala product that cannot legally be manufactured, stored, transported, distributed or sold in Maharashtra under the applicable prohibition order.

The FDA has also pointed to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Section 24 deals with misleading advertisements, while Section 53 provides for penalties in cases involving misleading food advertisements. The penalty under Section 53 can extend to ₹10 lakh for a person who is party to the publication of such an advertisement.

The notices reportedly require the actors to provide information about the due diligence carried out before agreeing to endorse the product. They have also been asked to furnish copies of endorsement agreements, campaign briefs and other relevant material connected with the advertising campaign.

The FDA has further directed the actors to discontinue their participation in the advertisement and remove related promotional material from their official social media accounts and other platforms, according to reports on the notices.

Actors given 15 days to respond

The show-cause notices do not amount to a final finding of liability against the actors. Instead, they give Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff an opportunity to explain their positions before the regulator decides whether further action is warranted.

The actors have been given 15 days from the date they receive the notices to submit their written explanations. Reports also indicate that they may seek a personal hearing, either themselves or through an authorised representative.

If an explanation is not submitted within the prescribed period, or if the FDA considers the response inadequate, the regulator has warned that further proceedings could follow under the applicable law.

Maharashtra’s wider crackdown on banned tobacco products

The notices come against the backdrop of an intensified food-safety enforcement campaign in Maharashtra.

The state has long prohibited gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine. Under the current FDA administration, officials have stepped up inspections and enforcement against businesses involved in the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of prohibited products.

The department has also been examining the supply chains behind illegal tobacco and pan masala networks. In eligible cases, authorities have indicated that provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) may be considered where organised networks are involved.

The latest action extends that regulatory focus beyond physical sales and into advertising and brand promotion. It also puts the spotlight on the responsibility of celebrity endorsers when a product or brand may have a connection with a prohibited category.

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What happens next?

The immediate next step is for the three actors to respond to the FDA notices and provide the information sought by the regulator.

The central question will be whether Vimal Elaichi is treated as a standalone product for advertising purposes or whether the campaign, in the FDA’s assessment, functions as a form of surrogate communication for Vimal Pan Masala.

The case could also have wider implications for celebrity advertising in India. Brands associated with products that face restrictions often use legally permissible product categories to maintain visibility and consumer recall. Regulators scrutinising such campaigns could increasingly examine the overall branding and context rather than only the product explicitly shown in an advertisement.

For now, no final penalty or finding against Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn or Tiger Shroff has been announced in connection with these notices. Their responses to the FDA will determine the next stage of the matter.