Vimal Elaichi Ad | Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff reply to FDA showcause notices

Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have responded to the showcause notices issued by the Tukaram Mundhe -led Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their Vimal elaichi advertisement.

Two of the three actors have also sought hearing, Mundhe said, while sharing that further proceedings in the case are underway as per the rule book.

"Regarding those notices, responses from all three have come. Two of them had asked for a hearing. Their hearing was finished yesterday, and we are proceeding further," Mundhe told ANI .

#WATCH | Mumbai: On notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over Vimal advertisement, Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe says, "Regarding those notices, responses from all three have come. Two of them had asked for a hearing. Their hearing… pic.twitter.com/0MV5yNtNua

— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2026

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff get FDA showcause notices over Vimal elaichi ad

Earlier in August, the FDA issued show cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff for advertising Vimal elaichi, alleging that it leads to surrogate advertising or indirectly promoting pan masala, which is prohibited in the state.

In the show cause notice, served on August 11, Maharashtra's Food Safety Chief Mundhe had directed the actors to immediately discontinue their participation in the promotional campaign and explain their roles as endorsers in the advertisement.

The FDA invoked Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which restricts misleading and deceptive food advertisements. It had also cited Section 53, under which misleading endorsements can attract penalty of Rs 10 lakh or more, and the endorsers can be banned from endorsing any products for up to three years.

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'Influence is not immunity'

Amid the ongoing case, Mundhe had recently issued a statement warning Bollywood celebrities against endorsing harmful health products.

Taking to X, Mundhe said that "influence is not immunity" and emphasised that celebrity status does not grant anyone a license to bypass advertising regulations or compromise public health.

"Influence is not immunity. Artists, like everyone else, must respect the law and recognise the responsibility that comes with endorsing products, behaviours, and habits that shape public choices. When influence is used to endorse food products, public health cannot be an afterthought," Mundhe wrote.

'Respect law, recognise responsibility': Tukaram Mundhe warns Bollywood over harmful product endorsements

He continued, "In Maharashtra, we have already issued notices to artists for endorsements that raise concerns in the larger public interest. No one is above the law. And influence must never become a licence to promote what may harm public health. The principle is simple: no one is above the law, and no commercial interest can take precedence over public health."

Mundhe's statement came shortly after President Droupadi Murmu , during the 72nd National Film Awards, urged the film stars to not promote harmful health products, highlighting that their words and actions strongly influence young minds.

"A true star is the one who spreads light, not darkness," Murmu said.