AN AAMIR KHAN BLOCKBUSTER RELEASING ON JUNE 08

First Ever Coffee Table Book On Aamir Khan

Mumbai: Not merely a perfectionist or superstar, as Aamir Khan is wont to be tagged by his fans, he is also one of India’s most versatile actors. With a fresh approach and profound commitment to roles, both off screen and on it, he went on to reinvent the concept of stardom in Bollywood. And when he hosted the television show, ‘Satyamev Jayate’, so penetrative was his presentation that his identity transformed into that of an activist.

Inarguably, Aamir is one of the most colorful personalities of India. And all the myriad hues, captured in technicolour, will be released on June 08 at Mumbai in the form of a coffee table book titled, Aamir Khan – Actor, Activist, Achiever. The first ever coffee table book on the superstar, this unique pictorial biography authored by ace lensman, Pradeep Chandra, contains about two hundred pictures and rare insights by writers like Rauf Ahmed, Mayank Shekhar, Vikas Sinha and others, with the foreword composed by Rajat Sharma.

“I won’t call this a biography in the strict sense of the term. But the book does try to look into his soul. Besides covering his broad career path and major incidents in personal life, I have also included many little known anecdotes of the star. While many of us freely use terms like ‘calculated’ and ‘methodical’ to describe Aamir, by his own admission, most of his crucial decisions have been taken impulsively – be it his marriage, decision to quit studies or become an actor. They all were split second decisions,” says Chandra.

The book is the author’s tribute to the superstar and the man behind it. As a photographer who has captured Aamir from his early days in cinema, Chandra has included exquisite stills, paintings, sketches and unforgettable images that encapsulate Aamir’s intensity and dedication to his craft. Chandra follows Aamir’s career seeking to understand the twists and turns, and the people and places whose influence was paramount in shaping his journey.

The book is third in part of the tribute series the earlier two being, “AB The Legend – A Photographer’s Tribute” and “M.F.Husain – A Pictorial Tribute.” The former was published by Rupa Publications in 2006, while the latter was published by Niyogi Books in 2013.

Published by Niyogi Books, Aamir Khan Actor Activist Achiever will be available for sale at Rs. 1500/- from June 09 onwards at leading book stores and online outlets.

Pradeep Chandra has been associated with Bombay Times, Indian Express, Illustrated Weekly & other prominent publications. He has done several exhibitions like Haveli Dreams, (based on Shekhawati), Kashmiri Pandits, and Britain (to commemorate 50 Years of Indian Independence) and has been a part of various art camps as well.He is the author of the coffee table book on Amitabh Bachchan titled “AB The Legend – A Photographer’s Tribute” and “M F Husain – A Pictorial Tribute”.

STATE BUDGET GIVES PARTIAL TAX RELIEF TO HOTEL INDUSTRY

Mumbai: The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has welcomed Maharashtra Government’s state budget that has announced partial tax relief to the industry. The hotel industry had been advocating a revision in the Luxury tax for the last few years and has hailed its revision. The new budget proposes exemption of Luxury tax up to Rs 1,000, 4% up to Rs 1,500 and 10% exceeding Rs 1,500. Also, it offers concession in luxury tax for new hotels or expansion of existing ones in B and C zone cities like Thane, Navi Mumbai and Nashik.

Mr. D.S. Advani, President, HRAWI while welcoming the new move says, “the hotel industry had been approaching the state Government at various levels for a revision in the Luxury Tax. The current luxury tax structure was not feasible in today’s scenario and would have negatively impacted tourism growth.”

“As per the previous tax structure, any hotel room with a tariff of above Rs.750/- and up to Rs. 1199/- was taxed at 4% and those above Rs.1200/- was at 10%. We had been requesting for an increase in the threshold limits. Since, a mere Rs.750/- does not justify being called luxury in today’s scenario, HRAWI had proposed that the limit be raised to at least Rs.2000/-. However, it gives us hope that in the near future it will be further rationalized,” says Mr. Advani.

The state budget has also reduced the late fee on VAT return from Rs. 5000/- to Rs. 2000/- for delay of up to one month and the turnover limit for registration under VAT has been increased from Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 10 lakhs.

“This is a progressive step adopted by the Government. Small restaurants and hotels will benefit from this move,” says Mr. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice-President, HRAWI. “But there is a lot more that is needed to give support to the ailing hotel and tourism related industries. It was accorded industry status over a decade ago however the accompanying benefits in subsidies were never passed on to us. For instance, electricity duty charged to Hotels and Restaurants is at the commercial rate of 13% as against the rate of 6% levied on industrial units. Power and water are the major cost of operation in hotels and restaurants. If the Government gives us the due benefits, not only will the hospitality industry grow, but tourism in Maharashtra will also see a big surge,” adds Mr. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice-President, HRAWI.

One of the sops provisioned in the current budget include the increase in the turnover limit for filing audit report from Rs. 60 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore. “This increase in the threshold limit will certainly bring major administrative relief for businesses such as restaurants but would not bring any monetary benefits,” says Mr. Pradeep Shetty, Honorary Secretary, HRAWI.

“The state of Maharashtra is evenly poised to give a run for its money to power states like Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala. It has all the natural resources. All that is needed is a little support from the Government. Today, due to insufficient infrastructure and high taxes, Maharashtra does not enjoy the same kind of tourist preference as some of the other states. But with positive Government measures we are sure that Maharashtra will become one of the highest ranked states for tourism,” concludes Mr. Kamlesh Barot, immediate past President, HRAWI.