Cinema VinesThe Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has moved the Vimal Elaichi advertising case involving Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff to its next phase. Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe confirmed that all three actors have submitted responses to the show‑cause notices issued last month over their appearance in a 2024 Vimal Elaichi commercial.
According to Mundhe, two of the actors had requested hearings, which were held and concluded yesterday. The FDA is now proceeding with the matter. “Regarding those notices, responses from all three have come. Two of them had asked for a hearing. Their hearing was finished yesterday, and we are proceeding further,” the commissioner said.
The notices, issued on August 11, 2026, accused the campaign of potentially acting as surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, a product banned in Maharashtra. The FDA argued that the Vimal Elaichi ad, presented as a cardamom mouth freshener, created an association with the prohibited pan‑masala brand. The regulator demanded explanations from the actors, details of their endorsement contracts, and evidence of due diligence before partnering with the campaign.
In addition to the actors’ responses, the FDA asked whether Vimal Elaichi was an independent product or whether its branding linked it to Vimal Pan Masala. The agency’s position is that the use of Vimal branding and the product’s presentation raise concerns about indirect or surrogate promotion of a prohibited item, in violation of food safety and advertising regulations.
Both the actors and the Vimal brand have been asked to discontinue their participation in the campaign and remove related promotional material from social media and other platforms. The Maharashtra FDA has stated that celebrity status does not shield individuals from regulatory scrutiny in this case.
