World · India Bureau
Bollywood stars respond to surrogate advertising notice from Maharashtra FDA
Actors Shah Rukh Khan, Tiger Shroff and Ajay Devgn have submitted replies to notices issued by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration in connection with a surrogate advertising case. The regulatory authority has completed hearings with two of the actors as it prepares next steps in the investigation.
LSN India ·
Three prominent Bollywood actors have responded to notices issued by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration regarding allegations of surrogate advertising, marking a significant development in an ongoing regulatory investigation.
Shah Rukh Khan, Tiger Shroff and Ajay Devgn submitted their replies to the FDA notices, according to officials overseeing the case. The surrogate advertising inquiry focuses on promotional activities that allegedly violated advertising standards set by the regulatory authority.
Procedural hearings with two of the three actors have concluded, though the identities of those questioned were not immediately disclosed. The Maharashtra FDA is now reviewing the submitted responses and hearing records as it determines the next course of action in the matter.
Surrogate advertising, wherein advertisements promote a product under a different name or guise to circumvent regulatory restrictions, remains a persistent concern for Indian advertising regulators. The FDA's investigation underscores ongoing efforts by state authorities to enforce compliance with national advertising codes, particularly in the entertainment and celebrity endorsement sectors.
No timeline has been announced for further action or conclusions in the case. The Maharashtra FDA is expected to issue a formal statement detailing subsequent proceedings once its review of submitted materials is complete.