Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn And Tiger Shroff Face FDA Notice Over Vimal Elaichi Ad

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show cause notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The FDA says the ad may amount to surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, which is banned in Maharashtra. The notice was issued on August 11 and gives the actors 15 days to respond.

The three actors appeared together in a Vimal Elaichi campaign in 2024. The FDA says the use of the Vimal name may remind consumers of the pan masala brand. It has questioned whether Vimal Elaichi is being promoted as a separate product or is being used to keep the pan masala brand in the public eye.

The notice, issued by Maharashtra food safety chief Tukaram Mundhe, reportedly runs to nine pages. The actors have been asked to stop taking part in the campaign and remove related posts from their social media accounts and other platforms they control. They must also share details of their contracts, payments, campaign plans, advertising agency and the brand owner.

The FDA has also asked them to show proof that Vimal Elaichi is an independent product that is actually sold in the market. It wants details of where the advertisement was shown and for how long. The actors can also ask for a personal hearing. If their replies are not received or are found unsatisfactory, the FDA may take further action.

The move comes after Maharashtra's July 13 prohibition order, which covers specified tobacco, nicotine and areca nut based products for one year. The FDA says Vimal is strongly linked with pan masala in the state.

The Vimal campaign has faced controversy before. In 2022, Akshay Kumar apologised after heavy criticism over his appearance with Shah Rukh and Ajay in a Vimal Elaichi ad. He said he would step away from the association and donate his endorsement fee to charity.

The latest notice has now put Shah Rukh, Ajay and Tiger under fresh regulatory scrutiny over celebrity endorsements linked to products that face restrictions in Maharashtra.