Guwahati: 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 appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement, questioning whether the campaign indirectly promotes a prohibited pan masala product.
The notices, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, give the actors 15 days to explain their involvement in the campaign. The FDA has also sought supporting documents related to their endorsements.
According to the regulator, the Vimal brand is strongly associated in the market with pan masala. It has raised concerns that promoting Vimal Elaichi could create an indirect association with Vimal Pan Masala, which is currently prohibited in Maharashtra.
The FDA said its examination of the advertisement considered elements including the product name, presentation, dialogue and the broader market identity of the Vimal brand. The agency is treating the matter as a possible case of surrogate advertising.
The action also marks an expanded focus by the Maharashtra FDA on indirect promotion of tobacco and pan masala products. The regulator has cited Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which deals with misleading food advertisements, along with Section 53, which provides for penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh in certain cases.
The actors have been asked to provide copies of endorsement agreements, campaign briefs, remuneration details and information on the due diligence carried out before associating with the product. The FDA has also questioned whether Vimal Elaichi is being marketed as an independent product or is functioning as a surrogate communication for Vimal Pan Masala.
The regulator has further directed the actors to stop participating in the advertisement and remove related promotional material from their social media accounts and other platforms.
Maharashtra has maintained restrictions on gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine for years, with the state FDA continuing enforcement against the manufacture, sale, and promotion of such products.
The notices do not establish a violation at this stage. The actors have been given an opportunity to respond, after which the FDA will decide whether further action is warranted.