At a time when celebrities are endorsing brands and causes, Akshay Kumar is going international, literally. The actor will be formally announced as the brand ambassador of Canada Tourism Commission in Delhi next Friday.
However, this is not the actor’s first endorsement for anything Canadian. Just last year, he was India’s ambassador and torchbearer for the Winter Olympics, held in Vancouver. Stewart Beck, the high commissioner of Canada in India, will preside over the function in the Capital, where the actor, who’s currently shooting his 3D film, Joker, in Chandigarh, will be present.
“Being a brand ambassador of a product means and proves that one is popular and famous enough,” says the actor, who’s also the face of many brands in India. He quickly adds, “But when it comes to being a brand ambassador for a country, one is instantly humbled at the thought that the government sees you in a certain way; that is more than just about one’s looks and the success of one’s movies.”
Conceding that he’s privileged by this honour, Kumar says, “It isn’t about using a product I believe in, but about being recognised as a good human being. I truly believe Canada is a wonderful country and I completely understand why some of my fellow Indians choose to live there.”
{{/usCountry}}Conceding that he’s privileged by this honour, Kumar says, “It isn’t about using a product I believe in, but about being recognised as a good human being. I truly believe Canada is a wonderful country and I completely understand why some of my fellow Indians choose to live there.”
{{/usCountry}}The actor, who’s producing the film, Break Away, in association with the Canadian government, also has an emotional connect with the country. When his father was suffering from cancer, Kumar had taken him there for treatment. His first visit to Canada was to shoot Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), with the last being for Anees Bazmee’s forthcoming film, Thank You.