SRK, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff Respond To FDA Notice; 2 Seek Hearing Over Vimal Ad: Tukaram Mundhe

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said Tuesday that Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have responded to show-cause notices issued to them over a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.

Speaking at a press conference, Mundhe said two of the three actors had sought a hearing before the FDA, and those hearings were completed on Monday.

“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,” he said, without identifying the two actors who appeared for the hearings.

When asked who had sought the hearings, Mundhe said they were “those who wanted it”.

The latest statement comes after Mundhe said earlier this month that one of the three actors had not responded to the FDA notices issued to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over the Vimal Elaichi advertisement.

What Mundhe Said Earlier

Speaking to NDTV earlier this month, Mundhe said the actors were being treated as advertisers in the matter and that action was being taken under the law.

“According to you, they may be stars, but according to me, they are only advertisers in this case. So I am looking at them as violators of the law, and the law will take its own course,” he had said.

Mundhe had also said that one of the three actors had not responded to the notice and that the FDA had initiated adjudication and prosecution proceedings against that individual.

Asked whether Shah Rukh Khan had responded, Mundhe said he did not remember exactly because the matter was being handled by an assistant commissioner. He had indicated that Khan had most likely not responded, while stressing that he was not certain.

The commissioner had also rejected the argument that responsibility for the advertisement rests solely with the manufacturer rather than the celebrity endorser.

He cited advertising provisions under the Food Safety and Standards Act and said advertisers have a responsibility to conduct due diligence before endorsing a product.

Why FDA Issued Notices

The FDA issued the show-cause notices on August 11, alleging that the Vimal Elaichi advertisement featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff amounted to surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra.

The actors were given 15 days to respond.

The notices cited Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which restricts misleading food advertisements. The FDA also cited Section 53, under which publishing or being party to the publication of a misleading food advertisement can attract a penalty of up to ₹10 lakh.

The FDA is now proceeding with the matter after receiving responses from all three actors, Mundhe said.