Beautiful Bengal, a short promotional film showcasing Bengal as a tourist hot-spot, is ready to hit the TV screens from mid-September with state’s brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan in the lead.
Taking cues from similar efforts by Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had planned this tourism campaign late last year. It has been directed by filmmaker Aniruddha Roychowdhury and after completing it, he has handed it over to ad company Phonenix, which had been entrusted by the state information and cultural affairs department to give the final touches and get the film ready. It is expected to be screened before the CM either on Monday or Tuesday. Once she approves it, it will be released for public viewing.
Beautiful Bengal has mostly been shot outdoors and it took about 22 days to shoot the entire film with Shah Rukh. The music for the film has been scored by Shantanu Moitra.
“The film gives a fresh perspective of the natural beauty of Bengal and also of its natural and industrial potential. The film’s music is also unique, something that immediately connects with the flavour of Bengal,” said a member of the crew.
The duration of the film is three minutes. However, the edited and shorter versions will also be available to fit into different slots. It is said that none other than the chief minister, herself, broached the topic of the film to Shah Rukh and requested him to play the lead, since he is the brand ambassador of the state. Shah Rukh not only accepted the proposal, he did not even charge for his role in the film. The initiative is being coordinated by the state information and culture secretary, Nandini Chakraborty. Not only her department, but filmmaker Roychowdhury and Phoneix boss Naren Raina, too, preferred to remain tight-lipped about it till the special screening before the CM happens.
Does SRK speak Bengali in the film? Does he dress up for parts in Bengali dhoti drape reminding us of the Devdas Shah Rukh in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic?
“Hold your breath and you will soon know it all… It is full of surprises…” a senior team member said.
Courtesy: Times of India
