Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff under Maharashtra FDA's scanner over pan masala brand ad; agency issues show-cause notices to actors

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff for their advertisement of a pan masala brand. The regulator alleged the campaign constitutes surrogate advertising for a product banned in the state. The notices were delivered this week: Ajay Devgn received his at his Juhu residence, Shah Rukh Khan at his Bandra home, and Tiger Shroff via his production company. The FDA seeks explanations from the actors regarding their involvement, claiming the ad indirectly associates with the banned pan masala brand, Vimal. The notice cites a Prohibition Order from July 13, 2026, under Section 30(2)(a) of the FSS Act, 2006, prohibiting the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of the product in Maharashtra. The regulator invoked Section 24 of the FSS Act, which prohibits misleading advertisements, and Section 53, which allows penalties up to Rs 10 lakh for such violations. These notices are part of Maharashtra FDA’s broader crackdown on gutkha and pan masala products containing tobacco or nicotine, including inspections and seizures to enforce food safety compliance.