Mukesh Khanna has come out in support of the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent show-cause notices issued to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their association with an advertisement allegedly indirectly promoting pan masala. The veteran actor said celebrities endorsing such products should take responsibility for the message they send to their audiences.Sharing his views in a video on Instagram, Khanna said, “I would like to start by saying that the government and the FDA have sent a notice to three big artists.” He went on to criticise celebrities who appear in such advertisements, arguing that they end up promoting harmful products despite their public image.He added, “And now, what I have been saying for a long time, big artists who think they are good people and lead a good life are showing people the wrong way to live. I have said many times, what are you doing? You have a lot to do. Still, why are you doing such ads? Even though you are promoting elaichi, you are promoting the same brand indirectly.”
Mukesh Khanna questions the delay in action
The actor also questioned why the authorities took so long to act on the matter. He said, “Why are you putting goods in the market which are banned in Maharashtra? I am surprised that all these officials took action on behalf of the government. Why so late? Why are they getting so many lakhs and crores of rupees? No one does this. Even the government was getting a lot of money from it. I did not understand.”
Mukesh Khanna wants actors to apologise
Khanna further urged Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff to take responsibility for the campaign. The actor said, “I would even say that these actors should move forward and publicly apologise for making a wrong ad. They have given the wrong message earlier, so now it is their duty to turn it around and give the right message that this thing is not for eating.”
More about the FDA notice
The Maharashtra FDA had issued show-cause notices to the three actors for allegedly indirectly promoting pan masala through their 2024 advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, a product the FDA says is linked to a brand selling pan masala. The notice, issued under the leadership of Tukaram Mundhe, directed the actors to stop participating in the campaign and remove related promotional content from their social media handles. The FDA also sought copies of their endorsement agreements, campaign briefs, payment details and proof of due diligence.