1 hr ago
Maharashtra FDA Updates Vimal Ad Notices to Three Actors
Three Bollywood actors appeared in advertisements for Vimal Elaichi.
Maharashtra’s food regulator questioned whether the ads were really promoting Vimal Pan Masala.
Pan Masala is prohibited in Maharashtra.
The regulator sent notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff on August 11.
The actors were given 15 days to respond.
All three responses have now been received, according to Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.
Two actors asked to attend hearings.
The Delhi High Court also rejected a challenge to the notices because it said the matter should be handled in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said responses had been received from Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff regarding Vimal advertisement notices.
Two actors requested hearings, while proceedings had earlier begun against the actor who missed the response deadline.
The FDA alleged that the Vimal Elaichi campaign indirectly promoted Vimal Pan Masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra.
The notices issued on August 11 asked the actors to explain why action should not be taken and directed them to remove promotional material.
The Delhi High Court dismissed PB Agro LLP’s challenge to the notices, saying Maharashtra was the appropriate jurisdiction.
- Who
- Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff, and PB Agro LLP.
- What
- The Maharashtra FDA is reviewing notices issued over the actors’ involvement in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement allegedly promoting Vimal Pan Masala indirectly.
- Where
- The regulatory action is in Maharashtra, while the jurisdiction challenge was heard by the Delhi High Court.
- When
- The notices were issued on August 11; the Delhi High Court ruled on September 14, and Mundhe gave the update on September 29, 2026.
- Why
- The FDA questioned whether the advertisement amounted to surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala and said endorsers have responsibilities under advertising regulations.
Regulatory Position
Challenge to Notices
Whether the advertisement indirectly promotes pan masala
Regulatory Position
The Maharashtra FDA alleged that the Vimal Elaichi campaign amounted to surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, a product prohibited in Maharashtra.
Challenge to Notices
PB Agro LLP, the master licensee associated with Vimal Elaichi, challenged the FDA notices in the Delhi High Court; the article does not state the company’s detailed substantive defense.
Responsibility for endorsements
Regulatory Position
Tukaram Mundhe said advertisers and endorsers cannot simply place responsibility on the manufacturer and must exercise due diligence.
Challenge to Notices
The actors submitted responses to the notices, and two requested hearings; the article does not identify their individual positions.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration
- Commissioner
- Tukaram Mundhe
- Actors named in notices
- Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff
- Advertisement
- Vimal Elaichi
- Notices issued
- August 11; actors were given 15 days to respond
- Responses
- All three responses were received; two actors requested hearings
- Court ruling
- On September 14, the Delhi High Court dismissed PB Agro LLP’s petition challenging the notices
Sources
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