Ajay Devgn moves Bombay High Court; challenges Maharashtra FDA notice over Elaichi ad

After months of scrutiny over the Elaichi advertisement controversy, Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn moved the Bombay High Court on October 30, challenging a show-cause notice issued by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over his appearance in the campaign.

Ajay Devgn challenges Maharashtra FDA notice in Bombay High Court

According to Bar & Bench, the Drishyam actor approached the Bombay High Court on Friday to challenge the show-cause notice.

In his petition, Ajay challenged the FDA regulation's constitutionality. He also argued that the notice was arbitrarily served directly on him, rather than on the manufacturing company. He also reportedly contended that he should be excluded from the proceedings because he is no longer associated with the brand.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff reply to FDA notices over Elaichi ad

The petition is reportedly set to be heard on November 4 by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh C. Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.

The development follows FDA notices issued months ago to Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff over their association with the Vimal Elaichi campaign.

Also Read: Maharashtra FDA issues notices to SRK, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff over Elaichi ad

What did Tukaram Mundhe say about the matter?

During a press conference in Mumbai on Friday, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said proceedings against Devgn, SRK and Tiger had been completed. All three actors had responded to the notices, and the department concluded that violations had occurred. He concluded by saying that Devgn’s decision to approach the Bombay High Court would not stop the department from continuing its proceedings.

Also Read: Maharashtra FDA crackdown: Shah Rukh Khan & Ajay Devgn receive FDA notices

He stated, “The hearing before the Assistant Commissioner has been completed, and she will file adjudication proceedings before the Joint Commissioner by next week at the latest. The proceedings will then begin. However, one of the individuals, Ajay Devgn, has approached the Bombay High Court. That is fine, but we are proceeding with our action."

Why did the Maharashtra FDA issue notices?

The controversy began after the Maharashtra FDA objected to advertisements featuring the three actors promoting Vimal Elaichi, a branded mouth freshener. According to the regulator, although the advertisements promote a silver-coated cardamom, the Vimal brand is strongly associated with pan masala. The FDA therefore alleged that the campaign indirectly promoted Vimal Pan Masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra.

Issued on August 11, 2026, the notices asked the actors to stop participating in the campaign, remove promotional material from their respective social media platforms, and provide details of the due diligence they carried out before endorsing the product. They were also asked to submit relevant agreements and documents concerning the advertisements.

FDA invoked Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which deals with misleading advertisements. It also cited Section 53, under which publication of a misleading food advertisement can attract a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh.

What did Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff say?

The actors responded through their legal representatives, maintaining that they had endorsed Vimal Elaichi, not pan masala. The FDA continued its proceedings, saying the advertisements could amount to surrogate promotion of a prohibited product.

Before the three actors, Akshay Kumar had also faced criticism over his association with the campaign in 2022 and subsequently apologised before announcing his decision to withdraw from the endorsement.