The actor had earlier denied been formally approached to be the face of the campaign.
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan may end up being the face of the 'Incredible India' campaign, replacing Aamir Khan, a report in the Hindustan Times says. The announcement may come in a day or two.
The speculation comes at a time when there's not enough clarity about the actor's involvement in the Panama Papers leak which has named him director of atleast four offshore companies. Earlier reports had suggested that the actor was going to be dropped as the choice for brand ambassador of Incredible India but it was the idea was later dropped amid revelations from the Panama Papers.
Bachchan has denied earlier that he was approached for the campaign at all.
“I wish to state that I have not been formally approached for this position (Brand Ambassador for 'Incredible India'). The speculation of the media regarding its discontinuance is, therefore, not relevant as far as I am concerned.”
A recent investigation of the Panama Papers documents shows that Bachchan served as the director of at least four offshore shipping companies from 1993-97 and participated in board meetings of at least two of these companies via a telephone conference, a claim he has earlier refuted.
Over 1.15 crore documents leaked, which are now called the Panama Papers, has given out information about a Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca and numerous world leaders and put a spotlight on the shadowy world of offshore companies.
Bachchan has earlier denied the wrong doings and claimed that his name was being misused.
Bachchan is said to replace Aamir Khan who was appointed as the face of Incredible India Campaign in 2008 and was eased out in January after being associated with it for several years for his remarks on intolerance that did not go down well with the government and the people.
The Tourism Ministry had later clarified the termination had nothing to do with his comments on intolerance and that his contract with the advertising agency which engaged him had expired and wasn't renewed.
According to the HT report, celebrities like Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar may also be a part of the Incredible India campaign. With Bachchan as the main ambassador, there will be other celebrities who will represent the campaign.
Bachchan has been Narendra Modi's choice to be the face of the Gujarat Tourism campaign.
Bachchan is also the ambassador for Maharashtra's 'Save Tiger' project.
After his involvement in Panama Papers was disclosed, Congress in Maharashtra sought his ouster as the ambassador for the 'Save Tiger project'.
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