Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff face heat over gutkha promotion, receive legal notice

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff are facing legal trouble over their appearances in Vimal Pan Masala advertisements. The Jaipur consumer forum has issued notices to the three actors, along with the chairman of JB Industries, the manufacturer of Vimal Gutkha, to appear on March 19.

The Jaipur-II District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has summoned the actors and the chairman of JB Industries to respond to the allegations. The complaint also accused the company of promoting a harmful product, gutkha, which is a mix of pan masala and tobacco, under the false impression that it contains saffron.

The notices were issued by Commission Chairman Gyarsilal Meena and member Hemlata Agarwal, following a complaint filed by consumer rights activist Yogendra Singh Badiyal. The complaint alleged that JB Industries falsely claimed that every grain of Vimal Pan Masala contains saffron, which is highly unlikely given the significant price difference between saffron and the pan masala product. Saffron costs around Rs 4 lakh per kilogram, while the pan masala pouch is sold for just Rs 5.

The petitioner argued that this misleading advertisement is intended to deceive consumers into buying the product, which poses serious health risks due to the presence of tobacco. 

Meanwhile, the actors have not yet issued any statement in connection to the legal trouble. Earlier, the actors have long faced criticism for endorsing pan masalas, with Ajay, Shah Rukh Khan, and Akshay Kumar being among those who have faced severe backlash for their involvement in pan masala advertisements. Akshay Kumar, in particular, had faced intense scrutiny for featuring in a pan masala ad, prompting him to issue an unconditional apology for hurting his fans' sentiments. He also vowed to never endorse such products again, acknowledging the harmful impact of pan masalas on public health.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Shah Rukh will next be seen in Siddharth Anand’s King, Ajay Devgn will feature in Raid 2. Tiger Shroff is geared up for Baaghi 3.