Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s proximity to Bengal (and its political circles) is well known; the Baadshah is the owner of the IPL cricket team ‘Kolkata Knight Riders’ and SRK gets invited as the chief guest for several events in Kolkata.
And now, Shahrukh Khan will also feature in television campaigns to promote tourism in West Bengal.
Here’s a new digital tourism film, starring Shah Rukh Khan, that traces the journey of a young foreign woman in India, who comes to attend a wedding and decides to explore West Bengal.
Watch: West Bengal tourism ad starring Shah Rukh Khan
The video has been made by advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather, and provides a peek into the art, culture, architecture and food scene of West Bengal. The video is aimed at travellers from India as well as foreign countries. One of the objectives of the video is to position Bengal as a safe state that offers hospitality and warmth.
Although the film has been well shot and brings alive the true beauty of Bengal, there are some who feel that the video could have been better.
“While the positioning is fresh, I am not sure if the film explains the positioning of Bengal being the sweetest part of India. Also I feel Shah Rukh Khan’s presence is forced and does not go well with the overall narrative of the film,” Titus Upputuru, national creative director, Dentsu Marcom (a Dentsu Aegis Network agency).
Shah Rukh Khan: New Face of Bengal Tourism
“We have decided to keep Shah Rukh Khan as a part of our new campaign which is being worked out. The new TVC will be ready within next three months,” West Bengal tourism spokesman said about the actor’s involvement.
The new tourism campaign is being launched to attract tourists and also help in branding Bengal. The officials are hopeful that the new campaign will give a boost to the tourism sector.
The 10-year vision document aims to double the growth trend of five per cent in inward tourist flow from both domestic market and international countries to Bengal.
