Aamir Khan to be face of 'Incredible India'

It's now Aamir Khan's turn to sell India to the world! The Bollywood hero has been roped in by the tourism ministry to be the face of its brand campaign 'Incredible India' to showcase the country's rich heritage and culture and the message, Athithi Devo Bhava (guest is god).

Khan, who met Tourism Minister Ambika Soni personally to receive the offer officially in the national capital Friday, said he was more than happy to be part of the campaign.

“I have accepted the invitation. I am very happy to be part of it. It is a wonderful country and 'incredible' is the fitting word for it,” Khan, who was wearing a black T-shirt over rugged and torn jeans, told reporters at Soni's residence here.

However, the ministry is yet to finalise the type of campaign it wants to do for the coming year.

“We will be coming out with an ad campaign and a road show to promote India's tourism. It will highlight the culture and heritage of the country, which are the USPs of our country,” the minister said.

The actor, who said he would be working free of cost for the campaign, appeared to have a fair idea about what he was going to do.

“We should show our hospitality. India is famous for it. Even if there are some incidents, we should take steps to sensitise people,” he said.

“Each social work is different. Through this, I want to remind people how great is our country and want to sensitise our people. I want to tell them what we are - we are warm and hospitable people. We have to protect those who are visiting our country. We must ensure that they have a good time and come back again.”

The 'Incredible India' campaign launched in 2002, showcasing the country's unique heritage and cultural aspects, has been a major hit and made considerable impact on its tourism sector.

Khan made it clear that his participation was a part of his social commitments and he had no plans to enter politics. “I am an entertainer and will continue to do good work. I am part of it because I want to spread social message.”

Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan was a part of the campaign for creating awareness on garbage disposal.

According to Aamir, films are good way to showcase India. “After the movie Lagaan,  wherever I go, I used to meet people who were interested in visiting India.”

Asked if the recent terror attacks - in Bangalore and Ahmedabad - would damage the country's aspirations in the tourism sector, Aamir said: “Terrorism is against everyone. We should be united. We are for peace and if there is one bomb blast, we should light a billion candles.”

“If they (terrorists) are spreading poison, we should spread the message of love and peace,” he said.

Bollywood director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and lyricist Prasoon Joshi were also present.

Aamir Khan moved to tears at Chennai awards fest

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan was presented the 11th Gollapudi Srinivas National Award on Tuesday evening in Chennai for directorial excellence in Taare Zameen Par.

The Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation gave the award, instituted in memory of the late director Gollapudi Srinivas, to Aamir. The award honours achievements by upcoming directors.

And now comes the interesting part!

Speaking at the event, veteran filmmaker K Balachander gave a heart-warming speech about Taare Zameen Par and it's director. The speech, which spanned nearly 30 minutes, moved Aamir to tears and he looked choked for the remainder of the ceremony.

“This movie made me cry, yet made me happy somehow. You made a movie on a buck-toothed baby (Darsheel Safary) and still emerged successful,” said Balachander. He also said that films such as Taare Zameen Par should make Indian cinema 'wake up from its complacency'.

Aamir, clad in his trademark long-sleeves and jeans, was unable to speak when his turn came and the hall went silent as he admitted how touched he was with Balachandar's words. The Lagaan star later kept the copy of Balachander's speech—'for reading out to my grandkids'.

The occasion also saw some of the biggest names in the industry flanking Aamir onstage. Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh set the mood with a rendering of six of his best songs and veteran actor Anupam Kher was also present to give Taare Zameen Par his words of appreciation.

“Today, when we are marketing cinema, lives and values, to make a film on special children is truly an act of courage,” Kher said.

Also present was director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who recollected various memories of Aamir and him before both made it big in Bollywood. He said he was wonderstruck at how Aamir remains 'free of muck and remains untouched by success'.

The night was an amazing spectacle for fans who had arrived from far and wide to watch the Bollywood superstar accept an award after years of boycott. And yet the 11th Gollapudi Srinivas National Award turned out to be one of the most emotionally charged moments in movie-award history—and possibly for Aamir Khan himself!

The award celebrates the work and memory of Gollapudi Srinivas, an upcoming director who was killed by a freak wave on a Vishkapatnam beach while shooting his first film.

Aamir dedicated the prize money of Rs 1.5 lakh towards the assistance of young filmmakers.

Truly an evening to remember.

It's films that matter at the box office, not stars: Aamir

Films and not their stars are responsible in pulling people to theatres and contributing to their success at the box office, actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan has said.
"A big star associated with a film can manage to draw audiences for some days. From the second week onwards, it is the film which matters," Aamir told reporters at the DVD launch of Shonali Bose's movie "Amu" last evening.
Calling for an end to dividing cinema into art and commercial forms, Aamir said his directorial venture "Taare Zameen Par" earned Rs 131 crore from the box office.
"It was not a trade mark masala entertainer. Will you call 'Taare Zameen Par' an art film? It did commercial business of Rs 131 crore," he said.
When asked whether the film did well because he was part of it, Aamir said if the film was bad despite his presence, it would not have succeeded. "There are several films with big stars that have crashed at the box office," he said.
Speaking about "Amu", Aamir said the subject of the film about the backdrop of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi impressed him.
"It is a very dramatic film which values human life. Justice for wrongdoings is necessary otherwise how can we move forward as a society?" he asked.
Aamir said there have been incidents in the society where mankind has shown its worst face. "It is important that we accept it, ensure justice and move forward," he maintained.