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Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff Get FDA Notices For Vimal
The Maharashtra FDA has issued notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their Vimal Elaichi ad, alleging possible surrogate advertising of tobacco products.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their advertisements for Vimal Elaichi.
The FDA is investigating whether the advertisement is a case of surrogate advertising. This means promoting a restricted product indirectly by advertising another product with the same brand name.
The advertisement officially promotes Vimal Elaichi. However, the FDA wants to know whether it is indirectly reminding viewers of Vimal Pan Masala and tobacco products.
Maharashtra has banned gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine since 2012, and the ban is renewed every year.
The FDA examined the advertisement's branding, presentation and dialogue, which have appeared on television, YouTube and social media.
On 11 August, Ajay Devgn received his notice at his Juhu residence, Shah Rukh Khan received his notice at Mannat in Bandra, and Tiger Shroff's notice was sent through his production company.
All three actors have been given 15 days to respond. The FDA has asked them to submit endorsement agreements, payment details, campaign briefs, product information and details of the advertising agencies involved.
They have also been asked to provide evidence that Vimal Elaichi is a genuine product sold independently in the market and is different from the tobacco product. The notices also ask them to stop participating in the advertisement and remove related promotional content from their official social media accounts while the matter is being examined.
The notices refer to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, under which misleading food advertisements can attract a penalty of up to Rs.10 lakh. In some cases, people involved in such advertisements can also be barred from endorsing products for up to one year, and in certain situations, up to three years.
However, the actors have not been found guilty. The Maharashtra FDA will review their replies before deciding whether any further legal action is required.