Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Issues Show Cause Notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff Over Surrogate Advertising

MUMBAI — The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff for their alleged involvement in the surrogate promotion of pan masala, a product banned in the state.

The nine-page notice, issued by the FDA under the leadership of Tukaram Mundhe, mandates that the actors immediately withdraw from the promotional campaign. Furthermore, the authorities have ordered the stars to remove all associated content from their official social media accounts.

The legal action stems from a 2024 advertisement for Vimal Elaichi. While the commercial explicitly promotes cardamom, the FDA maintains that the Vimal brand is synonymous with pan masala, which is legally prohibited in Maharashtra for production, storage, distribution, and sale. The regulatory body argues that such branding is deceptive and serves as a surrogate advertisement for the prohibited substance, potentially misleading consumers.

Under the state’s consumer protection laws, participation in misleading or surrogate advertisements can lead to penalties ranging from 1 million to 5 million rupees. Additionally, offenders may face a ban from endorsing any products for up to three years. The FDA has demanded that the actors provide documentation regarding their sponsorship agreements, promotional details, and evidence of the due diligence conducted prior to endorsing the brand.

This is not the first instance of a high-profile actor facing scrutiny over such endorsements. In 2022, actor Akshay Kumar faced significant public backlash for appearing in similar advertising for Vimal Elaichi. Kumar eventually issued a public apology on social media, withdrew from the contract, and pledged to donate his earnings from the endorsement to charitable causes.