Ajay Devgn has moved the Bombay High Court against a Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration show-cause notice over his appearances in Vimal Elaichi advertisements. The actor’s petition argues that the notice was “arbitrarily issued to him as an actor rather than to the manufacturing company.”
A division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna is likely to hear the matter on November 4.
What the FDA is saying
The FDA treats the Vimal Elaichi campaign as surrogate promotion for Vimal Pan Masala, a chewable product banned in Maharashtra. Similar notices have gone to Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff, who have also appeared in the advertisements.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the department’s investigation is complete and that it found violations by the actors. The matter will be referred for adjudication next week. Even as Devgn approaches the High Court, the regulator says its proceedings before the joint commissioner will continue.
Surrogate advertising: the idea at the centre
Surrogate promotion happens when a brand that cannot legally advertise a restricted product runs a campaign for an extension that keeps the parent name visible. The question here is whether Vimal Elaichi is a genuine product or a front for a pan masala name prohibited in Maharashtra.
Devgn’s challenge zeroes in on responsibility. He is asking the court to consider why a performer, rather than the manufacturer, should answer the notice. That distinction matters in Bollywood, where celebrities supply visibility in brand campaigns but the product and the regulatory risk sit with the company.
Regulators often reason that an ad need not name the banned product if the brand identity is strong enough to do the selling. In the FDA’s view, Vimal Elaichi is doing that job for Vimal Pan Masala.
What the FDA has claimed
The regulator has earlier claimed that the Vimal Elaichi campaign was linked to the sale of gutkha and pan masala, products prohibited in Maharashtra. A show-cause notice then becomes the route to adjudication when the regulator believes an endorsement has crossed the line.
Dates that matter
- November 4: the Bombay High Court is likely to hear Devgn’s petition.
- Next week: the FDA plans to refer the matter for adjudication.
- Same action: Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff face similar notices.
For fans, this is a business-of-Bollywood story about endorsement risk. For now, the process is at the adjudication and High Court stage.
The first hearing may not settle the wider debate, but it will signal whether a leading actor can shift the regulatory burden back towards the company behind the product.
Source: Filmibeat