Bollywood stars told to stop appearing in surrogate ads

Three prominent Bollywood actors, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff, have been instructed by the Maharashtra state to cease their appearances in advertisements for a product primarily linked to a banned betel nut mix called pan masala. This directive comes as the state intensifies its food safety campaign. The Maharashtra's newly appointed food safety chief has suspended licenses of numerous local restaurants and foreign outlets due to hygiene concerns, earning him significant popularity on social media. The state recently shut down four Domino's outlets and 12 warehouses of major grocery chains.

In a public warning issued over the weekend, the state revealed that the actors were endorsing Vimal's cardamoms, a product often associated with the prohibited pan masala. Industry estimates suggest the pan masala market in India was valued at approximately $5 billion last year. Health experts and medical professionals have highlighted that pan masala is a major contributor to oral fibrosis, which can potentially lead to oral cancer.

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration sent a notice to the actors, giving them 15 days to provide an explanation. The notice emphasized that the use of the brand name and identity could promote, reinforce, or maintain consumer recognition of the banned product. Surrogate advertising, a marketing technique used to promote prohibited goods, often involves using the same brand name, logo, or style on a legal proxy product to maintain visibility among consumers.

The state requested the three actors to remove the advertisements from their social media accounts, cease any further broadcast, and provide details of their endorsement agreements with the manufacturer. The Maharashtra authorities emphasized that Indian law prohibits misleading advertisements. In a recent Vimal cardamom ad featuring the three actors, the scene depicted a festive celebration with the actors throwing saffron at each other. The advertisement has garnered over 106 million views on YouTube.

In 2024, Reuters reported that India was drafting stricter regulations to prohibit surrogate advertisements following complaints that liquor companies were promoting their products using branded glasses or music CDs. These rules are still under finalization.