Life of Pi to inspire ‘Land of Pi’ campaign

Indian actor Suraj Sharma (R) playing the character Pi, stands near a tiger named Richard Parker in a lifeboat, one of the props used in the new film "Life of Pi" by director Ang Lee, in this undated publicity photograph from the film released to Reuters November 16, 2012. "Life of Pi" is yet to hit movie theaters, but fans can already buy the film's trusty lifeboat that becomes home to a young Indian boy shipwrecked with a tiger. U.S. online retailer Gilt Groupe said on Friday that the lifeboat, replicated from real rafts used between the 1920s and 1950s, is among props from the movie up for sale next week. Pi's lifeboat is an important character throughout much of the movie and is essentially a film set in itself. REUTERS/Courtesy Fox 2000 Pictures/Gilt Home/Handout (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) NO SALES. NO ARCHIVES. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Seeking to cash in on the worldwide popularity of Life of Pi , which has been shot in Puducherry and Munnar in Kerala, the Union Tourism Ministry has decided to launch a full-fledged “Land of Pi’’ campaign.

The government would soon unleash the campaign across all media, including print, online, electronic and outdoor, to promote Puducherry and Munnar as major tourist destinations, Tourism Minister, K. Chiranjeevi said.

Luxury buses plying between Chennai and Puducherry and Kochi and Munnar will carry ‘Land of Pi’ slogan. Special tours and walking trails will be organised for tourists visiting Puducherry and Munnar.

Short films on tourist attractions in Puducherry and Munnar, as depicted in the film, have been created and they will be put on Youtube and other social media networks.

The Minister said the campaign will be undertaken in English as well as in French, German, Chinese, Spanish and Japanese languages. ‘Land of Pi’ posters, produced by Tourism Ministry, will be exhibited worldwide through India tourism offices overseas. These would also be put on the Incredible India website and the websites of the Puducherry and Kerala Tourism Departments.

The Ministry will also organise road shows to promote Indian destinations in China and Taiwan. Director Lee is of Taiwanese origin. T-shirts and caps branding the two destinations will also be distributed.

Mr. Chiranjeevi has held a meeting with the Secretaries of Tourism of Puducherry and Kerala along with the tour operators of the region.

National awards

The Ministry has already announced special National Tourism Awards for Ang Lee, Director, and Yann Martel, author of the book ‘Life of Pi.’