Shah Rukh Khan has landed in fresh trouble over the controversy surrounding Vimal Elaichi advertisements. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet received his response to a show-cause notice issued over the advertisement. Meanwhile, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have submitted their replies to the regulator.
All three actors were issued notices on 11 August and were given 15 days to respond. The FDA is examining whether the Vimal Elaichi advertisement amounts to surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, which is banned in Maharashtra.
FDA questions Vimal Elaichi advertisement
The Maharashtra FDA had questioned whether the branding and presentation of Vimal Elaichi indirectly promote Vimal Pan Masala. Although the advertisement features cardamom, the regulator believes the campaign could create an association with the pan masala brand.
The notices sought evidence from Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff to establish that the advertised elaichi is a separate product and that the campaign is not intended to promote a banned tobacco product indirectly.
Why is the FDA taking action?
Pan masala and tobacco products containing nicotine have been banned in Maharashtra for years, with the ban being renewed periodically. The latest ban was extended on 13 July 2026 under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The FDA has also intensified its crackdown on illegal gutkha and tobacco networks. Between 25 May and 31 July, officials conducted raids at 658 locations, seized banned products worth ₹15.11 crore, registered 519 FIRs and arrested 701 people.
Vimal Elaichi ads have faced questions before
The controversy surrounding Vimal Elaichi is not new. In 2018, the Directorate General of Health Services issued a notice to Vishnu Pouch Packaging Private Limited, the company associated with Vimal Elaichi, under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act.
The company argued that it did not manufacture tobacco products under the Vimal brand for the domestic market.
In January 2024, the Delhi High Court upheld an order allowing the company to advertise non-tobacco products, observing that there was no legal or constitutional ban on trading in tobacco-free paan masala.
Salman Khan also faced legal trouble over pan masala ads
Shah Rukh Khan is not the only Bollywood star to face legal questions over such advertisements. Salman Khan was also involved in a pan masala advertisement controversy in Rajasthan.
In 2025, a complaint was filed against Salman Khan in the Kota Consumer Court over a Rajshree advertisement. Salman maintained that he had promoted silver-coated elaichi and not gutkha or pan masala. His lawyer also argued that the matter did not fall under the consumer commission’s jurisdiction.
Consumer Commission later summoned Salman Khan
The matter escalated in January 2026 when the Jaipur District Consumer Commission-II imposed an interim ban on the promotion and advertisement of the product following a complaint alleging misleading advertising.
Despite the order, advertisements were reportedly displayed on hoardings in Jaipur, Kota and other cities. The commission subsequently issued bailable warrants against Salman Khan after he failed to appear.
However, in April 2026, the Rajasthan High Court stayed the bailable warrant, giving Salman relief from appearing before the Jaipur Consumer Commission.
Shah Rukh and Ajay Devgn had defended such advertisements earlier
The controversy also brings back Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn’s earlier comments on celebrity endorsements of pan masala and similar products.
In an old interview, Shah Rukh had argued that if a product is harmful to health, the government should stop its production and sale rather than asking actors not to advertise it. He had also questioned why celebrities should be prevented from earning from endorsements when such products continue to generate revenue for the government.
Ajay Devgn had similarly said in 2022 that he advertised elaichi and not pan masala. He maintained that if a product is harmful, its manufacture should be stopped.
Other celebrity advertisements that sparked controversy
Kriti Sanon’s Rakhi advertisement
Kriti Sanon recently faced criticism over a jewellery advertisement in which she was seen tying a Rakhi to her brother and her dog while wearing a revealing outfit. The advertisement drew backlash on social media, following which the brand removed it.
Tanishq’s interfaith marriage advertisement
Jewellery brand Tanishq also faced heavy backlash over an advertisement depicting an interfaith marriage between a Hindu woman and a Muslim man. Following the controversy, the brand removed the advertisement from its YouTube channel.
Why celebrity endorsements remain controversial?
Celebrity endorsements can attract huge attention because audiences often associate stars with the products they promote. This becomes particularly sensitive when advertisements involve products that are restricted, banned, or considered harmful.
The latest FDA notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have once again brought the debate over surrogate advertising, celebrity responsibility and the promotion of pan masala brands into the spotlight.
