Tukaram Mundhe questioned celebrities over paan masala endorsements at NDTV's Yuva.
Maharashtra FDA issued notices to 3 actors over Vimal Elaichi.
Notices dated August 11 gave Shah Rukh Khan and others 15 days.
Maharashtra FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has questioned celebrities who endorse paan and gutka products, saying public figures should apply the same standards to themselves. His remarks at NDTV Yuva came amid the Vimal Elaichi ad controversy involving Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff.
Speaking at the event, Mundhe said, “If you are advertising paan or gutka, then you should consume it first. Let your children consume it and make it a habit. Then tell everyone else to do it. Why should it work the other way around?” He also criticised what he described as double standards among public figures.
Tukaram Mundhe on celebrities endorsing paan masala
Mundhe said an actor or celebrity cannot treat an endorsement as simply lending their face to a campaign. He rejected the argument that responsibility lies only with the producer or advertiser, saying public figures also need to understand what they are asking people to consume or believe.
The Maharashtra FDA commissioner also linked the issue to legal responsibility. He said the law does not permit misleading claims concerning food or drugs and sponsors have responsibilities when promoting products. He criticised sycophancy, saying, “I hate to be a sycophant. Anybody. I hate sycophancy. Double standards, multiple standards, multiple faces, I don’t like them.”
Vimal Elaichi ad controversy involving SRK, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff
The remarks came after the Maharashtra FDA issued show-cause notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The regulator alleged that the campaign could amount to indirect or surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra. The notices were dated August 11, 2026, and the actors were given 15 days to respond.
The FDA said the Vimal brand is prominently associated with pan masala and directed the actors to discontinue participation in the campaign and remove related promotional content from their social media accounts. Mundhe later said the three actors had responded to the notices, with two seeking a hearing.
The controversy has since raised questions over the responsibility of celebrity endorsers and the limits of surrogate advertising. The legal proceedings remain part of the ongoing matter.
