Akshay Kumar was caught off guard by a cheeky question at a recent brand event.. As the actor was announced as Acer’s new brand ambassador, a reporter brought up ‘Kesar’, referring to the ongoing buzz around Bollywood stars endorsing pan masala-linked products.During the interaction, a reporter pointed out that while other actors were promoting ‘Kesar’, Akshay was promoting Acer. The actor immediately laughed at the question but did not offer a verbal response.The question was a reference to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff, who currently feature in Vimal Elaichi advertisements. Interestingly, Akshay was also part of the Vimal campaign but stepped away following heavy criticism over his association with the brand.Why was Akshay Kumar asked about ‘Kesar’?The question came days after Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff received show-cause notices from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.The FDA issued the notices on August 11 and has sought responses from the three actors within 15 days. The regulator has alleged that the advertisement could amount to indirect or surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra.The notices were reportedly sent to Shah Rukh’s residence Mannat in Bandra, Ajay’s residence in Juhu and Tiger Shroff Productions LLP. The FDA has raised concerns over the use of the Vimal brand name, product references and dialogue in the advertisement, arguing that the campaign could indirectly promote Vimal Pan Masala.Akshay Kumar’s Vimal controversyAkshay Kumar had appeared alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement in 2022. His association sparked significant backlash, following which he apologised publicly and announced that he was stepping away from the brand.Story continues below this ad“I am sorry. I would like to apologise to you, all my fans and well-wishers. Your reaction over the past few days has deeply affected me. While I have not and will not endorse tobacco, I respect the outpouring of your feelings in light of my association with Vimal Elaichi. With all humility, I step back. I have decided to contribute the entire endorsement fee towards a worthy cause. The brand might continue airing the ads till the legal duration of the contract that is binding upon me, but I promise to be extremely mindful in making my future choices. In return I shall forever continue to ask for your love and wishes,” Akshay had said.He was subsequently replaced by Tiger Shroff in the campaign.Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn on Vimal associationShah Rukh Khan has previously defended his approach to endorsing products that are legally available in the market. During an interview with CNN-IBN, journalist Karan Thapar questioned him about celebrities promoting products considered unhealthy.Shah Rukh responded, “I would appeal to any authority to ban it; don’t let it be sold in our country. If smoking is bad, stop the production of cigarettes. If you think soft drinks are bad, don’t allow them to be made. My logic is you’re not stopping them because they bring in revenue. You’re not stopping certain products because they’re revenue sources for the government. Then don’t stop my revenue. I’m an actor. I’m supposed to do a job and earn from it. And very clearly, if you think something is wrong, stop it. Stop making it.”Story continues below this adAjay Devgn also defended his association with Vimal Elaichi in 2022, maintaining that he was endorsing elaichi and not pan masala.“It is a personal choice. When you do something, you also see how harmful it would be. Some things are harmful, some are not. I would say it without naming it because I don’t want to promote it; I was doing elaichi. What I feel is that, more than advertisements, if certain things are so wrong, then they should not be sold,” he had told SCREEN.Amitabh Bachchan has also previously faced criticism over his association with pan masala brand Kamla Pasand. He eventually ended the endorsement, saying he was unaware that the association could be viewed as surrogate advertising.