FDA notice to Shah Rukh, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over Vimal Elaichi ad
The Maharashtra FDA has issued show-cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff regarding their advertisements for Vimal Elaichi. The agency claims the ads act as surrogate promotions for prohibited tobacco products.
Why it matters
This action reflects stricter regulatory scrutiny on celebrity endorsements and the use of surrogate advertising for restricted consumer goods.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a show-cause notice to actors Shah Rukh Khan , Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, claiming it prima facie amounts to "indirect or surrogate" promotion of prohibited pan masala and tobacco-related products.
The use of the expression "Vimal Elaichi" in the advertisement appeared to create an association with the Vimal Pan Masala brand and could mislead consumers while indirectly promoting the prohibited product, FDA said.
The issue was particularly serious because the advertisement used the same brand identity associated with Vimal Pan Masala, the FDA's Greater Mumbai division said in the notice issued on August 11, which described the three actors as brand endorsers and sought their response within 15 days.
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