Maharashtra FDA Issues Notice to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff Over Vimal Elaichi Advertisement
Mumbai: Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have received show-cause notices from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.
The FDA has raised concerns that the campaign could amount to indirect or surrogate advertising for pan masala and tobacco-related products. According to the department, the use of the Vimal name in the advertisement may create an association with the Vimal Pan Masala brand.
FDA Questions Vimal Elaichi Branding
In its notice issued on August 11, the FDA’s Greater Mumbai division said the advertisement appeared to use the same brand identity associated with Vimal Pan Masala.
The department has questioned whether the advertisement for Vimal Elaichi represents a genuinely separate product or is being used as a form of brand extension to indirectly promote pan masala or tobacco-related products.
The FDA has also described the advertisement as prima facie misleading and referred to provisions under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with relevant advertising regulations.
Actors Asked to Remove Promotional Content
The three actors have been directed to stop participating in and endorsing the advertisement and remove related promotional material from their official social media accounts, websites and other digital platforms under their control.
They have also been asked not to assist with the further broadcasting, publication or promotion of the campaign.
The notice seeks details about the due diligence carried out by the actors or their respective agencies before they agreed to the endorsement.
FDA Seeks Details of Endorsement Deals
The Maharashtra FDA has asked the actors to submit supporting documents, including their endorsement agreements, campaign briefs and product details.
Information about the advertising agency, brand owner, payment arrangements and platforms where the advertisement was shown has also been sought.
The actors have been given 15 days from receiving the notice to submit their written responses and supporting documents. They can also request a personal hearing through themselves or an authorised representative.
If no response is submitted within the given period, or if the explanation is considered unsatisfactory, the FDA has warned that further action could follow.
Maharashtra Has Restrictions on Certain Pan Masala Products
The action comes amid Maharashtra’s ongoing enforcement against prohibited tobacco, nicotine and areca-nut-based food products.
The FDA said the Vimal brand has a prominent association with pan masala in the state. It has therefore questioned whether the Vimal Elaichi campaign could indirectly promote products covered by the existing prohibition.
Copies of the notice have also been sent to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for information and appropriate action.
The case could now put greater focus on the responsibility of celebrities and advertising agencies when endorsing products whose branding may be closely linked with restricted or prohibited products.
