Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe: Celebrities Not Above Law in Vimal Ad Case
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has declared that celebrity status will not protect actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff from regulatory action. The three actors were issued show-cause notices on August 11 for appearing in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement, which the department considers a surrogate promotion for prohibited pan masala products.
Speaking about the enforcement action, Mundhe emphasized that the law applies equally to everyone. He stated that while the public sees them as stars, the FDA views them purely as advertisers and violators of the law. The actors were given 15 days to respond to the notices. According to Mundhe, two actors submitted their replies, while one failed to respond within the given timeframe.
The FDA has already initiated adjudication and prosecution proceedings against the actor who failed to respond. While Mundhe mentioned it was most likely Shah Rukh Khan who had not replied, he noted he was not entirely certain about the specific file.
The two actors who responded argued that legal liability rests entirely with the product manufacturer rather than the brand endorsers. Mundhe firmly rejected this defense, pointing out that statutory regulations under the Food Safety Act place explicit responsibility on advertisers. He emphasized that influencers and celebrities are legally and morally obligated to perform due diligence before endorsing any product line.
Assistant Commissioners of the FDA will conduct formal hearings to evaluate the written responses submitted by the two actors. The core issue remains surrogate advertising, where a brand uses an allowed product, like mouth freshener, to indirectly promote a banned or restricted product, like pan masala.
By moving forward with formal hearings and legal prosecution, the Maharashtra FDA aims to set a precedent regarding celebrity accountability in product endorsements across the state. Stay tuned to know more about it and others only with us and if you have anything to share do comment below and share your thoughts.
