Mumbai: Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have received show-cause notices from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their association with a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The state regulator has alleged that the campaign could amount to indirect promotion of a pan masala brand that is prohibited in Maharashtra.

The three actors appeared together in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement in 2024. While the commercial promotes cardamom, the Maharashtra FDA has raised concerns over the use of the Vimal brand name, saying it is closely associated with pan masala.

The notice, issued on August 11 by Maharashtra's food safety chief Tukaram Mundhe, asks the actors to immediately stop participating in the campaign. They have also been directed to take down promotional material connected to the advertisement from their official social media accounts.

FDA questions use of Vimal brand name

According to the notice, the regulator's examination of the commercial found that the use of the name "Vimal Elaichi" could create a link with Vimal Pan Masala.

Mundhe said the branding could mislead consumers and indirectly advertise a product that is prohibited in the state. The FDA has cited Maharashtra's prohibition on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of pan masala.

The notice also raises the possibility of surrogate advertising. It says that if the Vimal name is being used for elaichi or a similar product to preserve or strengthen the brand's association with pan masala or tobacco products, the advertisement may go beyond promoting an independent product.

The regulator has sought explanations from the three actors as part of the proceedings.

Endorsement details sought from actors

Mundhe has also asked Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff to submit documents connected with their endorsements.

The FDA has sought copies of their endorsement agreements, campaign briefs and payment arrangements. The actors have also been asked to provide details showing what due diligence was carried out before they agreed to participate in the campaign.

The action comes as Mundhe has stepped up enforcement against the manufacture and sale of gutka and other banned tobacco products in Maharashtra. The latest notices form part of that wider crackdown.

Penalties could follow under consumer protection rules

The notice refers to provisions dealing with misleading advertisements and endorsements. Under the cited consumer protection provisions, endorsers can face penalties ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh for misleading endorsements. They may also be barred from endorsing products for a period of up to three years, depending on the proceedings and applicable provisions.

Vimal ads have faced scrutiny before

The latest action is not the first controversy involving Vimal's elaichi advertising and Bollywood celebrities.

In 2022, Akshay Kumar faced heavy criticism after appearing alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn in a Vimal Elaichi commercial. Social media users questioned his decision to associate himself with a brand linked to tobacco products, particularly in light of his earlier public statements about not endorsing tobacco.

Kumar subsequently apologised to his fans and announced that he was stepping away from the endorsement. He also said he would donate his endorsement fee to a worthy cause and promised to be more careful about his future brand associations.

At the time, Ajay Devgn defended his decision to appear in Vimal advertisements, saying that the choice of endorsements was personal and that he was promoting elaichi.