Maharashtra FDA probes Vimal Elaichi ads, issues notices to top Bollywood stars

UPDATE - follow-up to President's call puts spotlight on celebrity endorsements of harmful products: Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration has begun a formal inquiry into the Vimal Elaichi television campaign, suspecting it of acting as surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala. The agency served show‑cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff, accusing the ad of creating a link with a pan‑masala brand that is banned in the state. The matter has already reached the courts; the Delhi High Court on September 14 refused to hear a petition challenging the notices, directing the complainant to file the case in Maharashtra. President Droupadi Murmu’s earlier appeal at the 72nd National Film Awards urged popular artists, especially those influencing youth, to champion healthy habits and avoid promoting harmful substances. Public‑health experts say celebrity endorsements can normalize tobacco‑related products such as pan masala and areca‑nut items, making them seem socially acceptable to younger audiences. Arun Gupta, convener of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest, called for a clear legal framework to ban marketing of unhealthy and tobacco‑linked products. Oncology specialist Sandeep Nayak warned that when high‑profile icons lend their names to such brands, they inadvertently glamorise carcinogenic substances for millions of impressionable fans. National surveys show that 21.4% of Indians aged 15‑49 use smokeless tobacco, with an overall 28.6% of adults using any tobacco product, underscoring the health stakes of the controversy.