Promoting pan masala has always landed Bollywood stars in trouble and now three big actors are again facing legal action.
Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff are in legal trouble for their Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has questioned if the ad is actually indirectly promoting Vimal’s pan masala brand. Celebrity endorsements are very common in Bollywood but ads linked to pan masala brands have always created controversies.
Here is a list of 10 Bollywood actors who have been criticised for promoting pan masala or related brands.
1. Shah Rukh Khan:
He has been one of the most famous faces of Vimal’s elaichi ads, seen with Ajay Devgn and now Tiger Shroff and his association has always been criticised. Very recently, the Maharashtra FDA has sent show-cause notices to SRK, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff for their Vimal ads, saying that such campaigns could be an indirect promotion of pan masala.
2. Ajay Devgn:
He has been associated with Vimal for many years and is famous for the brand’s ‘Zubaan Kesari’ ads. He had earlier defended his decision, saying it was his personal choice and that if a product is harmful, it should not be sold at all. His Vimal connection is again in trouble after the Maharashtra FDA notices in 2026.
3. Tiger Shroff:
He has been seen in both Vimal’s elaichi ads and Pan Bahar ads. Because he has a very fit and healthy image, his association was highly controversial among fans. His recent Vimal ad with SRK and Ajay Devgn is now under investigation after Maharashtra FDA sent notices to them for alleged surrogate advertising.
4. Akshay Kumar:
He faced a lot of trolling after he joined Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn in a Vimal ad in 2022. Fans criticised him because he had earlier said he would not promote tobacco-related products. After the backlash, Akshay Kumar apologised and announced that he would give his endorsement money to charity.
5. Amitabh Bachchan:
He became the face of Kamla Pasand and was seen in ads with Ranveer Singh. His association was criticised a lot because of his big public image and influence. Later, Big B announced that he was ending his contract with the brand and gave back the endorsement fee.
6. Sunny Deol:
He recently became part of the pan masala debate after his old ad came out again online. The ad shows Sunny Deol promoting a pan masala product with Ravi Kishan. The video came out again after he recently said that he would never promote pan masala or even elaichi brands.
7. Salman Khan:
He has appeared in ads for Rajshree pan masala. His endorsement has been criticised by those who are against celebrities promoting such products. He also faced a case in a consumer court in Kota, Rajasthan, for endorsing Rajshree Pan Masala.
8. Ranveer Singh:
He also appeared in Kamla Pasand ads, including those with Amitabh Bachchan. His association with the brand was criticised by many people who questioned why such a big Bollywood star would promote a product linked to the pan masala industry.
9. Hrithik Roshan:
He faced a lot of criticism online after appearing in an ad for Signature’s elaichi. People on the Internet pointed to his fitness icon image and questioned why he chose to promote a brand connected to the pan masala category.
10. Saif Ali Khan:
He had previously appeared in a Pan Bahar advertisement, joining many other big film stars who promoted pan masala brands. His participation was criticised as the debate around celebrities promoting such products grew bigger.
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