Maharashtra FDA Initiates Legal Proceedings Against Bollywood Stars Over Vimal Ad Row

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has asserted that prominent Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff will not receive regulatory immunity based on their celebrity status regarding their association with a Vimal Elaichi advertising campaign. The state regulator previously issued show-cause notices to the three actors on August 11, granting a 15-day window to respond to allegations that the promotion functioned as surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, a product prohibited within Maharashtra.

Speaking publicly on the matter, Commissioner Mundhe emphasized that the department views the individuals strictly in their capacity as advertisers rather than entertainment figures. As regulatory proceedings advance, the enforcement action highlights ongoing scrutiny over high-profile promotional endorsements of restricted goods and the legal boundaries governing brand ambassadors under food safety statutes.

Commissioner Mundhe disclosed that the state FDA has moved forward with formal adjudication and prosecution proceedings concerning one of the actors who failed to submit a response within the stipulated 15-day deadline. While notices were issued to all three actors simultaneously, Mundhe did not publicly identify which artist omitted a reply, noting uncertainty regarding whether Shah Rukh Khan's representation had submitted documentation.

For the two actors who did reply within the required timeframe, their respective submissions argued that legal liability and regulatory responsibility should rest squarely with the product manufacturer rather than the celebrity endorser. Mundhe confirmed that these written defenses will be formally evaluated during upcoming hearings overseen by the assistant commissioner who issued the initial notices, ensuring procedural due process before further administrative steps are finalized.

Addressing the defense raised by the endorsers, Commissioner Mundhe firmly rejected the assertion that brand ambassadors bear no legal or moral duty regarding products they promote. Citing specific provisions under advertising regulations within the Food Safety Act, Mundhe maintained that explicit legal obligations are cast upon advertisers and endorsers to exercise due diligence regarding the items they support.

"There are clearly advertising regulations as per the Food Safety Act," Mundhe stated during an interview. "The regulations talk about who the advertiser is, and there is a responsibility very specifically cast upon the person or institution who is advertising. There is a responsibility cast upon the person who is advertising it, including to take due diligence about what he or she is endorsing. To say that it is not upon them is wrong… Not only morally, but legally I'm talking about, because I am here as a regulator."

The current regulatory action follows a history of public and legal scrutiny surrounding tobacco and pan masala brand extensions in Indian cinema. Previous campaigns for the Vimal brand have experienced similar controversies. Actor Akshay Kumar previously featured alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn in 2022 before publicly apologizing, stepping away from the brand, and pledging to donate his endorsement proceeds to charitable causes. Tiger Shroff subsequently joined subsequent iterations of the campaign.

Industry figures have historically defended their involvement by maintaining distinctions between restricted pan masala products and permitted brand extensions like cardamom or mouth fresheners. Ajay Devgn stated in previous interviews that his promotions focused strictly on elaichi, while arguing that underlying products deemed harmful should be prohibited at the manufacturing level rather than targeted through marketing restrictions.

Parallel to the Maharashtra FDA proceedings, legal disputes regarding the validity of the regulatory notices have reached the judicial system. On September 14, the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by PB Agro LLP, the master licensee for Vimal Elaichi, which sought to quash the show-cause notices issued to the actors.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma ruled that the Delhi High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction to entertain the challenge, noting that the regulatory notices originated from the Maharashtra FDA headquarters in Mumbai. The dismissal clears the way for the state regulatory body to continue its scheduled hearings and prosecution steps without jurisdictional interference.