Ajay Devgn Moves Bombay High Court Against Maharashtra FDA Notice Over Vimal Elaichi Ads

The actor argues the notice was wrongly sent to him as an endorser instead of the manufacturer. The FDA says the ads amount to surrogate promotion of a banned product.

Actor Ajay Devgn has approached the Bombay High Court to challenge a show-cause notice from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over his appearance in Vimal Elaichi advertisements, Bar & Bench reported. The petition says the notice was arbitrarily issued to him as an actor and not to the manufacturing company, according to PTI.

Show-cause notices are not findings. The FDA’s allegations and Devgn’s challenge are both yet to be tested.

What the FDA alleges

The FDA says the Vimal Elaichi advertisements amount to surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, a chewable product banned in Maharashtra. Its position is that promoting elaichi under the same brand identity indirectly keeps the restricted product in public view.

Show-cause notices dated August 11, 2026, went to Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff, according to The Week’s report on the notice. The actors were asked to explain their involvement and the notice also directed them to stop taking part in the campaign and remove promotional content from their social media handles. Devgn and Shroff responded, Business Today reported in early September.

Devgn’s challenge

Devgn’s petition challenges the notice and the regulatory provisions the FDA invoked. His position is that enforcement should be directed at the manufacturing company and not at celebrity endorsers. Reports also suggest he has argued that he is no longer associated with the brand. This point comes from your source and I couldn’t confirm it independently.

The makers of Vimal Elaichi had separately approached the Delhi High Court against the notices. Bar & Bench reported that the Centre argued the matter belonged before the Bombay High Court, and that Devgn moved the Bombay court after that.

The FDA’s position

Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the department’s proceedings against all three actors had concluded at the initial stage, according to PTI. The cases are being referred to the Joint Commissioner for adjudication, and the department will continue its proceedings there even as Devgn pursues his petition.

What happens next

The Bombay High Court is expected to hear the petition on November 4, 2026, before a division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.

The case draws fresh attention to regulatory scrutiny of surrogate advertising and the responsibilities of celebrity endorsers. Its outcome could affect how brands, manufacturers and public figures are held accountable when products share branding with restricted goods. The allegations remain subject to ongoing legal and regulatory proceedings.

Sources: Bar & Bench, PTI via Telangana Today, The Week, Business Today.