Bachchan promoted Gujarat for free: Govt

26-03-2011
Bachchan promoted Gujarat for free: Govt
Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Bachchan-promoted-Gujarat-for-free-Govt/articleshow/7789509.cms

The state government has made it clear that superstar Amitabh Bachchan was not paid any remuneration for acting as Gujarat's brand ambassador. This is the first time that the government has made an official statement in this regard.

In a written reply to the Jodiya MLA, Raghavji Patel's query, the state government said that the superstar had agreed to be the state's brand ambassador and for advertisement campaigns for which he was not paid any fee or remuneration.

State tourism department officials said that Bachchan had visited the state twice. While in the first trip, he shot in Somnath, Girnar, Bhuj in the second one he shot at Ahmedabad, Porbander and Dwarka.

Tourism officials said the super star also proposed to have a light and sound show for Dwarka, Ambaji and Somnath and had agreed to lend his voice for the same.

Government officials said that in 2009 and 2010 the government spent nearly Rs 37.66 crore on the advertisement campaign for the state's tourism department. The amount spent in 2010 was over Rs 20 crore which included lodging and boarding expenses of the superstar and his crew members who were in the state for the campaign - Khushboo Gujarat Ki.

Officials said that as a result of the advertisements and aggressive campaigns by the state government, tourism had risen. The last months of the year 2010 had seen a huge rush at Sasan Gir, the only abode of the Asiatic lions.