The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff for advertising an elaichi product of a pan masala brand.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the notice was issued by Maharashtra’s food safety chief Tukaram Mundhe on August 11.
The three actors appeared in an advertisement in 2024 to promote Vimal elaichi. Vimal is primarily known as a pan masala brand.
The notice stated that “VIMAL Elaichi” has been expressed in a way that “appears to create an association with the VIMAL Pan Masala brand”.
“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,” the notice read.
This “may mislead consumers” and “indirectly promote” the brand identity of the pan masala product, the notice said.
“If the use of the ‘VIMAL’ brand under the name of Elaichi or a similar product is intended to maintain, reinforce or enhance the brand identity and consumer attraction associated with Pan Masala/tobacco related products, such communication may not merely constitute an advertisement for an independent product, but may amount to indirect or surrogate promotion of a prohibited/restricted product,” the notice said.
The notice also directed the actors to discontinue their association with the product and remove all campaign material from their social media handles.
Tobacco ban in Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and sale of specific tobacco products such as gutkha, pan masala, flavoured tobacco and loose cigarettes are banned.
The state initially banned the manufacture, sale and advertising of oral chewing tobacco, gutkha and paan masala under the older Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. A more comprehensive and legally sustained prohibition was enacted in July 2012 following national regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
More recently, in June 2026, the state FDA authorised its officers to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against major illegal suppliers of tobacco.
Maharashtra FDA crackdown on eateries, brands
Recently, the Maharashtra FDA intensified its food-safety crackdown, targeting leading restaurant chains and delivery platforms over hygiene and compliance lapses. In statewide inspections on August 11, the FDA checked 104 outlets of brands including Domino’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Starbucks and Monginis. Ninety-five outlets received improvement notices, while five licences were suspended and two establishments were ordered to stop operations.
