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Aamir to sell Incredible India
After their tirade against corruption in high offices with the provocative Rang De Basanti, the trio of film star Aamir Khan, lyricist Prasoon Joshi and director Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra are teaming up again. Prasad Nichenametla reports.
After their tirade against corruption in high offices with the provocative
Rang De Basanti
, the trio of film star Aamir Khan, lyricist Prasoon Joshi and director Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra are teaming up again. And this time they have the task of taking Indian tourism to the masses through the Athidi Devo Bhava campaign.
The Ministry of Tourism, which for the first time chose Aamir Khan as it’s brand ambassador for the Atithi Devo Bhava campaign, also managed the other two to conceptualise and make the films (advertisements) for its campaign.
“With their talent and experience, we expect that these celebrities would connect the campaign with the people making it a people’s movement. They are also seriously involved in the campaign without charging any remuneration,” a senior official of the Ministry of Tourism said.
To start with, the Ministry would bring out two ad films of around 30 seconds each, one to bring behavioural/attitudinal changes in people to treat and accommodate tourists properly and the other would be against the menace of garbage and graffiti at monuments and other tourist places.
“We would discuss an idea exchange notes with Aamir Khan on how to sensitise people against harassment of tourists particularly women tourists. We would also safeguard the rich cultural heritage of the country while promoting tourism,” officials said.
The media campaign would be launched by mid-November when the tourist flow will be high. The Ministry is also planning special training programmes and events like street play to sensitise various sections which deal with the tourists like taxi drivers, guides, porters and dhabawalas.
“Many times the unintentional behaviour and dressing sense of these people intimidate the tourists. The campaign through our offices countrywide would address this problem by brining about that behavioural change,” the official said.
Special sessions are being conducted for immigration officials to properly deal with the foreign tourists arriving at the airports. The campaign would also be taken to schools and colleges through various programmes like painting, essay competitions to sensitise children and youth on the issue.
