Cardamom or pan masala? Why Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff face FDA action over Vimal ads

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff are facing action from Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their appearance in Vimal's cardamom advertisement, with the state regulator saying the campaign could reinforce consumer recognition of a prohibited pan masala product associated with the Vimal brand.

The actors are promoting Vimal cardamom in the advertisement, but the FDA has questioned whether using the Vimal name for the legal product indirectly promotes the brand's pan masala offering.

Also read: Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff face FDA notices over pan masala ads


The notices, made public over the weekend, ask the three actors to explain their involvement within 15 days. The FDA has also directed them to remove the advertisements from their social media accounts, refrain from further participation in their broadcast and provide details of their endorsement agreements with the manufacturer.

Why is a cardamom ad linked to pan masala?

The FDA's concern centres on the association between the Vimal name and pan masala. According to the regulator, the actors' promotion of Vimal cardamom could maintain consumer recognition of the prohibited product through the same brand identity.

"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 Food and Drug Administration said in the notice.

The notice added, "Upon examination ... (it) appears that the advertisement promotes the VIMAL brand, which is mainly associated with pan masala."

Surrogate advertising refers to the promotion of a restricted or prohibited product through another product carrying the same brand name, logo or identity. In this case, cardamom is the product featured in the advertisement, while the FDA says the Vimal brand is mainly associated with pan masala.

The regulator has asked the actors to provide details of their endorsement agreements and other information relating to their participation in the campaign. It has also sought an explanation on whether Vimal cardamom is an independent product available for sale or whether the advertisement constitutes surrogate or brand-extension communication for Vimal pan masala or tobacco-related products.

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff feature in the FDA notice

The advertisement at the centre of the action features all three actors. In the Vimal cardamom commercial, Khan, Devgn and Shroff appear together at a festive celebration, throwing saffron-coloured powder at one another. The advertisement has 106 million views on YouTube.

The Maharashtra FDA's action comes as the state steps up enforcement on food safety. The state's new food safety chief has suspended licences of prominent local restaurants as well as foreign outlets over poor hygiene. Last week, authorities shut four Domino's stores and 12 warehouses of major grocery companies.

The FDA's notices also come against the backdrop of Maharashtra's prohibition on specified pan masala products. The state has said the Vimal brand is predominantly associated with pan masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra.

Also read: FSSAI tightens pan masala packaging rules, bans plastic and plastic-laminated pouches

India's pan masala market was estimated by industry sources at $5 billion last year. Health experts and doctors warn that pan masala is a leading cause of oral fibrosis, which can progress to oral cancer.

Surrogate advertising has also been a concern for the Union government. In 2024, Reuters had reported that India was drafting stricter rules to prevent surrogate advertisements after complaints that liquor companies were promoting their brands through products such as soda and music CDs. Those rules have not yet been finalised.

(With inputs from Reuters)