The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has moved against prominent Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff, issuing show-cause notices over their appearance in the controversial “Vimal Elaichi” advertisement campaign. The regulator, headed by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, alleges the commercials function as “indirect or surrogate” promotion for Vimal Pan Masala—an item categorised as gutkha and tobacco-related—whose manufacture, storage and sale are prohibited in the state.
According to the notices, the FDA is asking the actors to formally explain their participation in the campaign and clarify how their endorsement does not amount to the indirect promotion of a banned substance. The move highlights the regulator’s broader push to curb tobacco and nicotine-linked products as part of enforcement across Maharashtra, where food and drug violations have become a focus for sustained action.
The Hindu reported that the FDA’s case is grounded in the way the Vimal brand is allegedly “prominently associated with pan masala in the market,” prompting enforcement targeting prohibited pan masala products. The outlet also described the legal backdrop: the action follows a prohibition order dated July 13 issued by the Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, with the order remaining in force for one year and covering specified tobacco, nicotine and areca-nut-based prohibited food products. The regulator argues that campaigns that effectively build brand association for such products can undermine the prohibition.
In a separate report, the Indian Express said the notices were served to the actors as the Maharashtra FDA stepped up enforcement on multiple food-safety and public health fronts. Alongside concerns relating to pan masala and tobacco, the agency has intensified inspections, seizures and action regarding issues such as adulterated milk and food served at restaurants, along with the sale of junk food near schools. The broader crackdown is framed as an effort to strengthen compliance with food-safety rules and reduce public exposure to unhealthy and banned items. The Indian Express
As for delivery of the notices, multiple reports indicate the communications were personally served to the actors this week. Shah Rukh Khan received the notice at his Bandra residence, “Mannat,” while Ajay Devgn was served at his home in Juhu. Tiger Shroff was notified through his production company, Tiger Shroff Productions LLP. News Source
The controversy around the Vimal advertising campaign is not new. The NDTV Profit report notes that the brand’s advertising presence has long been contentious, and Tiger Shroff was recently brought in as the newest face of the brand, replacing action star Akshay Kumar. Akshay had previously featured alongside Khan and Devgn but stepped down in 2022 after severe public backlash. The latest regulatory action suggests the FDA is scrutinising not only the product itself but also marketing strategies that may sustain consumer awareness.
Under Maharashtra’s prohibition framework, gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine have been banned since 2012 under Section 30(2)(a) of the FSS Act, with the ban renewed annually. The renewal referenced in reporting came into effect on July 13, 2026, according to the Indian Express. The Indian Express
In recent months, the FDA has also recorded a major scale of enforcement. The Indian Express said that between May 25 and July 31, the Maharashtra FDA raided 658 establishments where banned products were found, seized stock valued at Rs 15.11 crore, registered 519 FIRs and made 701 arrests. It also seized 78 vehicles carrying banned goods worth Rs 6.6 crore. While those figures relate to the state’s crackdown on prohibited products, they provide context for why the regulator may be widening its lens to advertising and endorsements that could perpetuate demand.
Officials are not seeking an immediate penalty in the show-cause notices; instead, they require the actors to respond and provide clarifications. The core question raised is whether public endorsement creates an indirect link to the prohibited pan masala product. In the regulator’s view, even if the campaign is framed around “Vimal Elaichi,” the brand’s market association with tobacco-related pan masala could render the promotion effectively a bypass of the ban.
Mundhe, who currently serves as Maharashtra FDA commissioner, is leading the effort. The crackdown, as described in the available reporting, is part of a sustained strategy to curb the promotion, sale and distribution of banned tobacco and nicotine-laced products while also addressing wider food and drug compliance issues across districts.
For the actors, the next phase will be their official responses to the notices—documenting their understanding of the advertising campaign, their role in the endorsement, and why the regulator’s assertion of surrogate advertising should not apply. The outcome will likely hinge on whether the FDA accepts that the commercials do not amount to indirect promotion of a prohibited substance, or whether the agency’s interpretation of brand association and market context prevails. Until those replies are filed and considered, the show-cause notices ensure the campaign remains under regulatory scrutiny.
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