MUMBAI: A familiar Bollywood endorsement has come under regulatory scrutiny in Maharashtra, with the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking explanations from Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.
The FDA has issued show-cause notices to the three actors, questioning whether the advertisement for Vimal Elaichi could indirectly promote Vimal Pan Masala, a product currently prohibited in Maharashtra. The regulator is examining the campaign as a possible case of surrogate advertising.
According to the notices, the FDA believes the advertisement’s branding, presentation, dialogue and overall association with the Vimal name could create a link with the pan masala product. The actors have been asked to explain their involvement in the campaign and their role as endorsers.
The regulatory action comes as Maharashtra intensifies its enforcement against tobacco and nicotine-containing products. The state has maintained restrictions on gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine for several years, with the prohibition renewed under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The FDA has invoked provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, relating to misleading food advertisements. Section 24 places restrictions on advertisements that are misleading or deceptive, while Section 53 provides for financial penalties in cases involving misleading food advertising. Reports on the notices state that the maximum penalty under the cited provision can extend to ₹10 lakh.
The latest move also highlights the regulatory challenge surrounding surrogate advertising, in which a product such as elaichi or another permitted consumer item carries branding strongly associated with a restricted or prohibited product. The Maharashtra FDA has indicated that it is examining whether the Vimal campaign falls within this category.
The notices do not amount to a finding that the three actors have committed an offence. They have been given an opportunity to explain their participation, after which the regulator will decide what further action, if any, is warranted.
The action against the actors comes amid a broader crackdown by Maharashtra authorities on the manufacture, distribution, sale and promotion of banned tobacco-related products. The FDA has also been working with law-enforcement agencies against organised networks involved in the trade of prohibited gutkha, tobacco and nicotine-containing pan masala.
The development places renewed attention on the responsibility of celebrity endorsers and advertisers when campaigns use brand identities associated with products that face legal restrictions.
