Amitabh starrer Te3n to attract tourists to Bengal

With a major part of the upcoming Bollywood thriller “Te3n” being shot in eastern Indian state of West Bengal, the Amitabh Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer will soon be used by the state government to attract tourists.

The producers of the film recently approached the tourism department with a proposal of co-branding with “Te3n”.

“We will partner with the film but the manner in which we will be associated is being worked out. Our advertising and marketing agency O&M is having talks with the producers,” A R Bardhan, principal secretary, West Bengal tourism department, said.

He said since the film is a thriller so they want a deal with the producers that West Bengal Tourism gets a credit in the trailer.

“We may even have a Bengal tourism advertisement along with the film trailer because we are soon launching our TV commercial with Shahrukh Khan. 

“We would want that TVC along with the trailer of the film,” the official said. Although a number of hit Hindi films have been shot in the city even in recent years, but this would be for the first time that Bengal tourism will get promoted through a Bollywood film.

Branded as ‘Experience Bengal Sweetest Part of India’, the state tourism has rolled out a fresh advertising and marketing campaign. A new TVC, with SRK as brand ambassador, will be rolled out later this month.

Produced by Sujoy Ghosh and directed by debutant Ribhu Dasgupta, “Te3n” will release next year.

It also stars Vidya Balan, who calls Kolkata her second home, in a special appearance. 

It was shot in different parts of the city including the Raj-era Writers Buildings. Bollywood has been romancing the varied colours of the ‘City of Joy’ in a number of films. In 2012 the superhit mystery “Kahaani” starring Vidya Balan brought to limelight the myriad colours and vibrancy of colonial Kolkata. 

In the same year, Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor’s romantic-comedy-drama film “Barfi!” presented the beauty of the little explored parts of the city and the mystic charm of the hills of Darjeeling.