Kerala to go ahead with proposal to rope in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

The Kerala government will go ahead to rope in Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador of the tourism if both sides can arrive at a consensus on terms and conditions, according to highly placed government sources.

The reports in a section of media that the government was re-thinking on the move since Bachchan also happens to be the brand ambassador for Gujarat had no basis, the sources said.

"We will be sending a senior tourism official to Mumbai to hold discussions with Bachchan. If the terms and conditions are mutually acceptable he will be made the brand ambassador for tourism. It all depends on how the specifics are going to
work out," they said.

Bachchan had said in an interview recently that he did not see anything wrong in being the promoter of tourism of the two
states simultaneously. He also said he only represents Gujarat's tourism and not its politics.

Bachchan first expressed his readiness to be Kerala's brand ambassador in an interview with a leading Mayalayalam channel. Following this, State Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan wrote to the actor to know if he was willing for the same.

Bachchan positively responded to the invitation paving the way for discussions.