Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe backed President Droupadi Murmu's appeal to film stars against endorsing products harmful to public health, saying celebrity influence could never be treated as immunity from the law.
Mundhe was responding to Murmu's remarks at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on Tuesday, where the President said popular film artists had immense potential to influence people, especially the youth, and that when successful artists spoke about a disciplined lifestyle, millions of children and young people emulated them.
She said a "true star" was one who spread light, not darkness, and urged celebrities not to endorse products that could harm health.
In a post on X, Mundhe wrote: "Influence is not immunity. Artists, like everyone else, must respect the law and recognise the responsibility that comes with endorsing products, behaviours and habits that shape public choices. When influence is used to endorse food products, public health cannot be an afterthought. In Maharashtra, we have already issued notices to artists for endorsements that raise concerns in the larger public interest."
"No one is above the law. And influence must never become a licence to promote what may harm public health. The principle is simple: no one is above the law, and no commercial interest can take precedence over public health," he added.
The remarks come weeks after the Maharashtra FDA, on 11 August, issued notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over an advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, which the department said amounted to surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, a product banned in the state.
Mundhe had earlier clarified that the notices were not aimed at the actors personally but sought to ensure advertising practices complied with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulations, with the actors given 15 days to respond.
The notices cited Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which restricts misleading advertisements, and Section 53, under which anyone who publishes or is party to publishing a misleading food advertisement can face a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh.
ALSO READ: Tukaram Mundhe's FDA Sends Notices To SRK, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff Over Vimal Elaichi Ad
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