Maharashtra food safety head says Preity Zinta wearing his name on a T-shirt is a good start, but actual work is needed

Actor Preity Zinta recently wore a T-shirt printed with the words "Team Tukaram Mundhe" at a public event. The photo quickly spread online, drawing attention to her support for the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration chief's recent raids on food businesses in Mumbai that broke safety rules. Mundhe reacted to the gesture by stating he has not spoken to the actor directly. He expressed thanks for the mention and noted that honest people work in every part of society. He also stated that good thoughts and actions deserve promotion. However, the official stressed that celebrity support must go beyond mere appearances. He told a news agency that wearing a branded T-shirt and displaying a title is not enough by itself. He emphasized that people must do actual work and adopt the right mindset. This follows recent regulatory actions led by Mundhe against top film stars. Last month, the state food body sent warning notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff for promoting a pan masala brand. The agency stated that the ads amounted to hidden promotion of banned tobacco items. The department ordered the three actors to stop appearing in those commercials immediately. They must also delete all promotional material from their personal social media pages, websites, and digital accounts, and refuse to help broadcast the ads anywhere else. Mundhe previously explained on a podcast that stars share legal responsibility for what they promote under food safety rules. He pointed out that endorsers can face fines up to 10 lakh rupees if products break rules, adding that his office has also taken action against the makers and sellers of the items rather than focusing only on celebrities.