Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan said on Thursday he is ready to step in as brand ambassador of tourism ministry’s Incredible India campaign, a role Aamir Khan was playing till now.
“ No one has asked me( to take up the job) and neither have I been approached so far. But for state, country and social causes I shall always be ready to do any kind of work voluntarily, ” Bachchan told M AIL T ODAY through his publicist.
Earlier, asked if he felt Aamir was being removed because of his recent comments on intolerance, Big B downplayed the idea.
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“ You need to clarify first whether he is being removed because of something that he may have said or it is the end of his contract. I am sure that there must be some kind of difference there. I don’t think that people are removed just because they did not agree or said something that is controversial, ” Big B told agencies.
Veteran actor Bachchan has been brand ambassador of Gujarat tourism for a while now. According to reports coming from a tourism ministry source Big B was ‘ first choice’ of the Narendra Modi government ahead of several younger stars including Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra.
Kumar and Priyanka Chopra.
Reports stated the ministry felt Big B was ‘ a non- controversial figure’ and therefore was ideal to be India’s mascot while promoting the country as a tourist hub.
The ministry apparently has also noted the senior actor’s successful stint as an ambassador of Gujarat tourism.
Earlier on Thursday, Aamir Khan sent out a note to the press confirming his role in the Incredible India campaign had officially ended after a decade’s association.
“ It has been an honour and a pleasure for me to be the brand ambassador for the Incredible India campaign for the past 10 years. Whether I am brand ambassador or not, India will remain incredible, and that’s the way it should be, ” said the actor.