DELHI: Move over Amir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to become the mascot of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign. A news report by PTI said that India’s Tourism Ministry had decided to do away with plans to rope in any Bollywood actor, including the two mentioned above, for the role.
The new campaign with the Prime Minister is expected to be rolled out over the next 45 days or so.
It would be interesting to know how much Modi will be paid for the campaign unless the Tourism Ministry convinced him to work without pay – a good strategic and money saving move by the Ministry.
The news report mentioned senior ministry officials saying that Incredible India campaigns aimed at getting foreign travellers will be made with footage of Modi’s foreign trip made during the last two-and-a-half years of his tenure. Modi has spoken widely of tourism in India and abroad. The ministry plans to use video and audio of Modi talking about India’s uniqueness and diversity.
Tourism minister, Mahesh Sharma had earlier endorsed Modi for the role, saying he is the “best face” to promote Incredible India campaign. “The perception about India has changed significantly in the last two years, with Prime Minister Modi visiting a host of countries during the period. So, who else could be the better face for Indian tourism than our Prime Minister,” Sharma had said.
Tourism ministry officials too said that tourist inflow from countries like US, Germany, Fiji, Brazil, Australia, the UK, Canada and Myanmar, countries where Modi has visited, has risen significantaly after his trips.
Modi’s fun foreign trips.
He is also the only Indian Prime Minister (or actor) to have addressed a massive crowd at New York’s Central Park to much cheering. The video of him telling the crowd that ‘may the force be with you’ went viral. Take a look at the video here.
Here is Modi being driven to a vegetarian restaurant by the Mexican Prime Minister Pena Nieto himself.
Musafir Namah Bureau
