Maharashtra FDA Prosecutes Actor Over Vimal Ad Endorsement

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has initiated prosecution proceedings against one of three Bollywood actors for failing to respond to a showcause notice regarding a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe stated that celebrity status does not shield the endorsers from legal liability as advertisers. The regulatory action targets actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi campaign. The Maharashtra FDA alleges the advertisement constitutes surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, a product prohibited in the state. Showcause notices were issued to the actors on August 11, giving them 15 days to respond. Mundhe confirmed that two of the three actors submitted responses, while one did not. "According to you they may be stars, but according to me they are only advertisers in this case," Mundhe said. "So I am looking at them as violators of the law, and the law will take its own course." The FDA has begun adjudication and prosecution proceedings in the case involving the actor who did not respond.