Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff Get Maharashtra FDA Notices Over Vimal Elaichi Ad; What the Regulator Has Alleged

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have been served show-cause notices by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration over their participation in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement, with the regulator questioning whether the campaign amounts to indirect or surrogate promotion of a prohibited pan masala product.

The notices were issued by the FDA's Greater Mumbai division on August 11, 2026. Crucially, they are show-cause notices, not findings that the actors have committed an offence. The FDA has described its concerns as prima facie and has asked the three celebrity endorsers to explain their involvement and submit supporting documents within 15 days of receiving the notices.

That distinction matters because much of the coverage around the controversy has focused on the celebrities themselves, whereas the regulatory question is more specific: whether an advertisement ostensibly promoting elaichi, or cardamom, reinforces the identity of a pan masala brand covered by Maharashtra's prohibition regime.

Why has Maharashtra FDA objected to the Vimal Elaichi advertisement?

According to details of the notice reported by PTI, the FDA's concern centres on the use of the “VIMAL Elaichi” identity and its association with Vimal Pan Masala.

The regulator said that the product name, branding, market identity and overall presentation could create an association with the prohibited product and potentially mislead consumers by indirectly strengthening the pan masala brand.

Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe was also quoted by Moneylife as saying that the department believed the elaichi advertising appeared to function as surrogate promotion of a prohibited item. The statement represents the regulator's allegation at this stage rather than a final adjudication against either the brand or the endorsers.

What has the FDA asked Shah Rukh, Ajay and Tiger to provide?

The notice goes considerably beyond asking the actors for a simple explanation.

The FDA has sought information about the due diligence undertaken by the actors or their representatives before accepting the campaign. It has also asked for copies or details of endorsement agreements, campaign briefs, product information, remuneration or endorsement arrangements, and information identifying the advertising agency and brand owner.

Another significant question raised by the regulator is whether Vimal Elaichi is genuinely an independently marketed product or whether the communication operates primarily as a brand extension connected to Vimal Pan Masala.

The actors have therefore been asked for documentary material that could help establish the nature and availability of the advertised product.

The FDA has additionally sought information on where and for how long the advertisement appeared, including television, digital and social-media platforms.

Actors directed to discontinue participation in the campaign

The Maharashtra FDA has directed Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff to discontinue their participation in the advertisement and remove related promotional material from social-media accounts, websites and other digital platforms under their control.

They have also been told not to assist further publication or dissemination of the campaign while the matter is being examined.

The three actors have 15 days from receipt of their respective notices to provide written explanations and supporting documents. They may also seek a personal hearing, directly or through authorised representatives.

The FDA warned that further proceedings could be initiated if no response is filed or if the explanations are found unsatisfactory. Again, that means possible further action not that any penalty has already been imposed.

Maharashtra's latest prohibition order provides the regulatory backdrop

The FDA notice refers to a prohibition order issued by the Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner on July 13, 2026, under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

According to the regulator's notice as reproduced in PTI reporting, the order is valid for one year and applies to specified tobacco-, nicotine- and areca-nut-based prohibited food products.

The FDA has linked its examination of the celebrity campaign to this broader enforcement framework.

It has also referred to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, including rules requiring food-related advertising and claims to be truthful and not misleading. Copies of the notice were also forwarded to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Central Consumer Protection Authority.

Could the actors personally face penalties?

Not automatically.

The Maharashtra FDA notice starts a regulatory process and seeks explanations. Liability, if any, would depend on what the authorities ultimately establish and which statutory provisions are invoked.

The notice specifically asks about the endorsers' due diligence before joining the campaign. That is significant because India's consumer-protection framework can scrutinise the conduct of celebrity endorsers in misleading advertising cases.

Section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act gives the Central Consumer Protection Authority powers relating to misleading advertisements, including directions to discontinue or modify advertisements and, in appropriate cases, action against endorsers. The Maharashtra FDA itself referred to these provisions while forwarding the matter to the CCPA.

It would therefore be inaccurate at this stage to say that Shah Rukh, Ajay or Tiger have been “fined”, “convicted” or legally found responsible for surrogate advertising.

Have Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn or Tiger Shroff responded?

As of the material reviewed for this report, no verified public response from any of the three actors addressing the substance of the August 11 FDA notices was located.

Until a response is made public, the Maharashtra FDA's allegations should be reported as the regulator's position rather than an established conclusion.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The larger significance of this case extends beyond one advertisement.

Celebrity endorsements have increasingly become part of regulatory scrutiny because an actor does more than merely appear in a commercial their reputation can transfer credibility and visibility to the advertised brand.

The Maharashtra FDA's demand for endorsement agreements, payment arrangements and evidence of due diligence is therefore particularly important. It suggests that the regulator is examining not only what viewers saw on screen but also what checks celebrity endorsers and their teams conducted before associating themselves with the campaign.

For entertainment journalism, there is an equally important distinction to preserve: receiving a regulatory notice is newsworthy, but it is not equivalent to being found guilty. The next substantive development will be the actors' responses and whatever decision authorities take after reviewing them.

Sources & Verification

This report was independently prepared using detailed PTI reporting that reproduces key elements of the Maharashtra FDA's August 11 show-cause notice, additional reporting on Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe's comments, and cross-checking across multiple established news organisations.

The Celebrity Hour has treated the FDA's surrogate-advertising contention as an allegation under examination, not as a proven violation. No public penalty or final adverse determination against Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn or Tiger Shroff was identified in the material reviewed.