Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Tukaram Mundhe Warns Bollywood as Food Safety Crackdown Intensifies
Tukaram Mundhe is Maharashtra’s food safety chief.
He warned movie stars that being famous does not put them above the law.
His warning came after notices were sent to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff.
Officials said their Vimal Elaichi advertisement may indirectly promote Vimal Pan Masala, which is banned in Maharashtra.
The actors were asked to respond and stop appearing in the advertisement.
A court dismissed a challenge to the notices because it said it did not have the right jurisdiction.
Mundhe has also ordered many inspections and suspended some food-business licences.
Restaurant groups and a court have said some of his actions went too far, although he says they protect public health.
Maharashtra food commissioner Tukaram Mundhe warned celebrities that influence does not exempt them from the law.
His message followed August 11 notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.
The notices alleged the campaign indirectly promoted Vimal Pan Masala, which is banned in Maharashtra.
The actors were given 15 days to respond and were asked to stop appearing in the advertisement; reports said two responded and one missed the deadline.
Mundhe’s wider crackdown has involved thousands of inspections, licence suspensions, improvement notices and public complaints, while courts and restaurant bodies have criticized some enforcement actions.
- Who
- Maharashtra food commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, along with actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff, is central to the dispute.
- What
- Mundhe warned celebrities about their legal and public-health responsibilities after notices were issued over a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.
- When
- Mundhe posted the warning on September 23, 2026; the notices were issued on August 11, 2026.
- Where
- The enforcement action concerns Maharashtra; a related legal challenge was heard by the Delhi High Court.
- Why
- Officials alleged the advertisement amounted to surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, a product banned in Maharashtra, while Mundhe said celebrity endorsements can affect public choices and health.
Public-Health Enforcement
Due-Process Concerns
Celebrity endorsements
Public-Health Enforcement
Tukaram Mundhe says artists must respect the law and that public health should not be secondary when celebrities endorse food products.
Due-Process Concerns
The actors and brand representatives face notices alleging surrogate advertising; the articles do not report their detailed responses or publicly stated positions.
Food-safety crackdown
Public-Health Enforcement
Mundhe says inspections, licence suspensions and other actions are taken in the public-health interest and that suspensions are reserved for extreme cases.
Due-Process Concerns
Restaurant bodies accuse his department of bypassing due process, and the Bombay High Court said the regulator’s intent was laudable but had gone overboard in one case.
Legal challenge
Public-Health Enforcement
Maharashtra authorities continued pursuing the notices concerning the advertisement.
Due-Process Concerns
PB Agro LLP, the brand’s master licensee, sought to quash the notices, but the Delhi High Court dismissed the plea for lack of territorial jurisdiction.
- Official
- Tukaram Mundhe, Maharashtra’s food commissioner
- Notice date
- August 11, 2026
- Advertisement
- Vimal Elaichi campaign featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff
- Allegation
- The campaign allegedly acted as surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala
- Response deadline
- The actors were given 15 days to respond and told to stop appearing in the advertisement
- Enforcement figures
- More than 3,100 inspections by the end of July, around 300 licence suspensions and over 1,000 improvement notices
- Public complaints
- More than 16,000 complaints were received through a new public portal in the crackdown’s first three months