The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their advertisement for a pan masala brand. The regulator alleged that the campaign amounts to surrogate advertising for a product currently banned in the state.
Maharashtra FDA issues notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff
According to the IANS report, the show-cause notices were personally delivered this week – Ajay Devgn received his at his Juhu residence, while Shah Rukh Khan was served at his Bandra home, Mannat. Tiger Shroff was notified through his production company, Tiger Shroff Productions LLP. The FDA has sought an explanation from all three actors regarding their involvement in the ad, alleging it creates an indirect association with the pan masala brand.The notice stated, “Upon examination of the said advertisement, it prima facie appears that the advertisement promotes the Vimal brand, which is mainly associated with Pan Masala, a product prohibited for manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale in the State of Maharashtra for a period of one year, with effect from the date specified in the Prohibition Order dated the 13th July, 2026, issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety, Maharashtra State, under Section 30(2)(a) of the FSS Act, 2006.”
Legal provisions invoked by the FDA
The regulator has invoked Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, which prohibits misleading or deceptive advertisements related to food products. It has also cited Section 53 of the Act, which allows for a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh against those found guilty of publishing misleading food advertisements.
Notices are a part of the Maharashtra FDA’s wider crackdown
The notices are part of the Maharashtra FDA’s larger enforcement drive against gutkha and pan masala products containing tobacco or nicotine. The regulator has also been cracking down on other violations, including food and milk adulteration and the sale of unhealthy food items near schools. In recent months, the FDA has intensified inspections and seizures across the state to strengthen food safety compliance.
