"Every step taken in right direction": Shaina NC backs FDA notices to SRK, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff over Elaichi advertisement

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 16 (ANI): Shiv Sena Spokesperson Shaina NC has backed the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to issue notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their advertisement for a chewing elaichi brand.
Speaking about the FDA's action, Shaina said that products such as gutka and pan masala are harmful to health and that steps taken by the authorities should be seen as being in the "public interest".
"... We all know how hazardous gutka and pan masala are to health. Our own leader, Eknathji Shinde, met with the FDA Commissioner, Tukaram Munde ji, a few days ago. And I think that every step taken in the right direction should be viewed as a decision in the public interest," she told ANI.
Shaina also spoke about the responsibility of celebrities who promote products through advertisements. She said actors are seen as role models by many people and should be careful about the message they send to the public.
She added, "This is not about celebrities endorsing causes, but this is about them being role models in society and thinking and projecting the correct views for the people to follow."
The Maharashtra FDA issued notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff on Friday over their advertisement for a chewing elaichi brand. The department said the advertisement may violate provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and its amended rules.
The notices were sent to Devgn at his residence in Juhu, Khan at Mannat in Bandra and Shroff through his production house, Tiger Shroff Productions LLP.
The action comes as the Maharashtra FDA has stepped up its checks against gutka and pan masala products containing tobacco or nicotine.
According to the FDA, the advertisement creates an association with a brand, which it said is mainly linked with pan masala. The regulator also referred to a Maharashtra government order that prohibits the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of the product in the state for one year from the date specified in the order issued on July 13, 2026. (ANI)