The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their association with a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The regulator has alleged that the campaign may indirectly promote Vimal Pan Masala, a product whose manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale have been prohibited in Maharashtra. The notices were reportedly issued on August 11, 2026, and have now brought renewed attention to celebrity endorsements of pan masala-linked brands.
The three actors had appeared together in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement in 2024. While the commercial was presented as an advertisement for cardamom, the Maharashtra FDA has argued that the Vimal branding could create an association with the company's pan masala products. According to the regulator, such branding may amount to surrogate advertising, particularly because Vimal is strongly associated with pan masala.
The FDA's action comes amid stricter enforcement against products containing tobacco and nicotine in Maharashtra. The regulator has pointed out that Vimal Pan Masala is currently prohibited in the state under a food safety order. The notice reportedly refers to a prohibition order dated July 13, 2026, issued under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The notices have also raised questions about the responsibility of celebrities when endorsing consumer products. The FDA has invoked Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which deals with misleading advertisements. Section 53 of the law provides for penalties in cases involving misleading food advertisements, with reports noting that the maximum penalty can reach Rs 10 lakh for those found liable under the provision.
The notices were reportedly served in different ways. Ajay Devgn received the notice at his Juhu residence, while Shah Rukh Khan was served at his Bandra residence, Mannat. Tiger Shroff was reportedly served through his production company, Tiger Shroff Productions LLP. The regulator has sought explanations from the actors regarding their participation in the advertisement and has directed them to stop participating in the campaign and remove related promotional material from their official social media accounts.
The controversy is not the first time the trio has faced scrutiny over the Vimal advertisement. In March 2025, a Jaipur consumer disputes commission had also issued notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over an allegedly misleading Vimal Pan Masala advertisement. That case concerned claims made in the commercial and allegations that consumers could be misled by the promotional messaging.
The latest Maharashtra FDA notices have once again placed the spotlight on surrogate advertising and the role of prominent celebrities in promoting brands associated with restricted products. The actors' responses to the latest notices will be closely watched as the regulatory action progresses
