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Maharashtra gives Bollywood stars 15-day deadline on Vimal ads
Maharashtra warns Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff over surrogate Vimal ads. State FDA says ads promote banned pan masala. Actors have 15 days to respond.
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Maharashtra's food safety chief has warned three Bollywood actors to stop appearing in surrogate advertisements for Vimal, a brand linked to a banned beetle nut product. The state's Food and Drug Administration issued notices over the weekend to Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn, among others. Tiger Shroff also received a warning.
The notices, made public on Monday, give the actors 15 days to explain why they should not face action. The state FDA said the ads for Vimal cardamom use the brand's name and identity in a way that may promote the prohibited pan masala, a beetle nut mix sold in small packs. Pan masala is considered harmful, especially when mixed with tobacco. Health experts say it is a leading cause of oral fibrosis, which often progresses to cancer.
"Such use of the brand name and identity may have the effect of promoting, reinforcing or maintaining consumer recognition of the prohibited product," the state FDA said in the notice.