Escalating the legal showdown over celebrity brand endorsements and surrogate advertising, Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn has approached the Bombay High Court challenging a show-cause notice served to him by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in connection with the promotional campaigns for “Vimal Elaichi.” The regulatory notice was issued to the veteran actor for featuring prominently in promotional materials for the cardamom brand, which authorities argue functions as an indirect commercial conduit for prohibited gutkha and pan masala products. Moving the high court for immediate judicial intervention, Devgn’s petition argues that the regulatory notice was dispatched arbitrarily to him as an endorser rather than targeting the manufacturing corporate entity behind the brand. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna is scheduled to take up the matter for hearing on November 4, 2026.
FDA Flags Surrogate Advertising of Banned Pan Masala
In its regulatory communication, the Maharashtra FDA highlighted that the promotional campaign for cardamom is designed to circumvent legal prohibitions by subtly and indirectly marketing pan masala, which remains strictly banned across Maharashtra on public health grounds. The enforcement net extends beyond Devgn, as similar regulatory notices were served to fellow Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff for their participation in related brand commercials. Clarifying the enforcement stance, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe stated that the department has finalized its comprehensive investigation into the promotional campaigns featuring Shah Rukh, Ajay, and Tiger, formally establishing regulatory violations under state safety and advertising mandates.
Enforcement to Continue Ahead of November 4 Court Battle
Reaffirming the regulatory body’s strict posture, Commissioner Mundhe confirmed that the investigative findings will be officially submitted to the competent adjudication authority next week to initiate appropriate penal and administrative actions. The state authority made it clear that while Ajay Devgn has sought relief through the legal avenues of the Bombay High Court, the administrative proceedings and statutory actions undertaken by the food safety regulator will continue without pause, setting the stage for a critical judicial interpretation of celebrity liability in surrogate commercial promotions.