Mukesh Khanna demands apologies from three stars over Vimal advertisement.
Maharashtra FDA issued notices to Shah Rukh, Ajay and Tiger.
Khanna questioned celebrity endorsements of surrogate pan masala advertisements.
Mukesh Khanna has criticised Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their Vimal advertisement after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration issued notices to the actors. The Shaktimaan star welcomed the action and said the celebrities should publicly acknowledge the message sent by the campaign.
Mukesh Khanna demands apology from Vimal ad stars
Khanna said the actors should accept responsibility for endorsing the campaign and encourage people not to consume such products. Speaking about the FDA notices, he said, “I am happy that this time the FDA has issued a strict notice to these actors. They have been asked why they did the advertisement, and they have also been asked to stop it.”
He went a step further, calling for a public apology. “I would go further and say that these actors should come forward and publicly apologise, saying that they made the wrong advertisement,” he said.
Khanna also questioned the distinction between advertising cardamom and promoting pan masala under the same brand name. “They say they are advertising cardamom, but when the same brand name is used, it becomes a surrogate advertisement. You are indirectly promoting the same brand of gutka, which is banned in Maharashtra,” he said.
Maharashtra FDA notices Shah Rukh, Ajay and Tiger
According to reports, notices were sent to Shah Rukh Khan’s residence in Bandra, Ajay Devgn’s residence in Juhu and Tiger Shroff Productions LLP. The FDA has reportedly sought responses from all three within 15 days over their roles in the advertisement.
Khanna also questioned why action had taken so long. “I am surprised that the government officials took action so late. Why did they take so long? Perhaps the government was also earning revenue from it,” he said.
Mukesh Khanna's earlier criticism
Khanna has criticised celebrity endorsements of pan masala for years. In 2024, he had targeted a campaign featuring Shah Rukh, Ajay and Akshay Kumar, questioning the influence such advertisements could have on audiences.
“Crores of rupees are spent on making these ads. And what are you teaching the people?” he had told Bollywood Bubble.
The latest FDA notices were issued on August 16, adding a fresh turn to the controversy.
