Notices issued to Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn: Vimal ad

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has reportedly issued notices to three Bollywood icons, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn, regarding their appearance in a contentious advertisement for the pan masala brand Vimal. SB Pandey, the Deputy Solicitor General, informed the Lucknow bench, presided by Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan, about these notices from the CCPA.

The notices stem from a contempt petition filed by Advocate Motilal Yadav, alleging that despite being Padma awardees, the actors endorsed harmful habits like tobacco consumption. Show cause notices were dispatched to Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn on October 20.

Earlier, the court had urged the government to address the concerns raised by the petitioner. However, despite the petition being lodged on October 22, no action was taken, resulting in the contempt petition.

A few months ago, these actors found themselves embroiled in controversy due to the Vimal ad. Akshay Kumar, in particular, faced significant backlash, having previously apologized to his fans and vowed to discontinue his association with the brand.

The ad's airing during the India vs. Australia ICC Men's World Cup match drew severe criticism from netizens. Akshay Kumar responded vigorously on social media, refuting claims of his return as the brand ambassador and providing details about the ad's timeline.

He stated, "‘Returns’ as ambassador? Here’s some fact check for you Bollywood Hungama, if by chance you are interested in things other than fake news." He clarified that the ads were shot on October 13, 2021, and he had disassociated himself from the brand after announcing the discontinuation of the endorsement.

Despite his clarification, the situation remains contentious, with legal provisions allowing the airing of the already produced ads until the end of the following month.