Film Industry: MUMBAI TO GET INDIA’S FIRST LIGHTHOUSE TOURIST DESTINATION

MUMBAI TO GET INDIA’S FIRST LIGHTHOUSE TOURIST DESTINATION

It was a few months ago when I got a call from our young Minister of Shipping Milind Deora asking me if I would like to take a trip to the nearby Kanhoji Angre lighthouse, just off the coast of Mumbai. He wanted to examine whether we could make the lighthouse into a tourist destination and asked if the Times of India would support the initiative. So we agreed to meet at 6 am at the Gateway of India and took a 40-minute boat ride to the island. Throughout the way, we could not help but marvel at the fact that our sea looked as beautiful as any other part of the world, but it was just that we had not seen its potential, as a country, to exploit it for tourism. I was excited with the possibility of we Indians also getting an experience in our country that we otherwise, only see as tourists in other countries. Months after our visiting the island, the Ministry of Tourism has finally given its consent to the Ministry of Shipping and jointly, they have started to develop three lighthouses, that they have identified, into tourist destinations — Kanhoji Angre in Mumbai, the Dolphin’s Nose in Vishakhapatnam and Mahabalipuram lighthouse about 40 kms south of Chennai. The first to be launched would be, of course, the one in Mumbai. We bring you excerpts of our exclusive conversation with the two ministers:

Have you visited any of the international lighthouses? Once as a brand ambassador of a beverage brand, I was supposed to shoot an ad in South Africa in a lighthouse. But I couldn’t make it due to my tight schedule, but thanks to the graphics the ad showed me in the lighthouse and it looked fantastic. Now, once these lighthouses are built, Milind and I can actually stand on the lighthouse and give a shot.

Are you enjoying being a minister as much as you enjoyed being an actor? I enjoyed being an actor in the 30 years of my film career. After that, I think venturing into politics is a way to give back. I used to do some philanthropic work but with the political platform, I can contribute in a bigger way. On the lighter side, as an actor, your acting hours are limited but as a minister, it is unlimited. I remember when the Prime Minister appointed me, he said, ‘We have rightfully chosen you as a tourism minister as you have enormous experience and you have gone all over the world as an actor, so you know how to enhance, uplift and encourage our tourism sector. You can be a brand ambassador for your ministry.’ Our three big constraints for building tourism are connectivity, hygiene and the safety and security of our tourist places. Many countries find it difficult to get a visa and would like us to give them a visa on arrival. When I went to Spain, the tourism minister told me a lot of people want to come to India as they love Bollywood, but they don’t have direct flights and find it difficult to get visas on arrival, that is currently offered to only citizens of nine countries. I am in talks with the home ministry to extend it to about 40 countries.

Your favourite holiday destination? Internationally, I love going to Switzerland. I went there many times for my shooting and I loved the Alps, the tranquility, cleanliness, the greenery and the warmth of the people there. In India, there are lots of places that I love, but my favourite is Kashmir. Till the terrorism problem happened, for almost a decade, every summer I would be shooting there. I also like Goa, as it is happening and is lively and affordable. My family would always join me in the summer holidays when I shot in Kashmir. A few months back, my family members went to Jammu and Kashmir for a holiday. I had planned to go but could not. They said they missed me as they got nostalgic remembering the times and places where they jumped, slid and sledged as kids. Just hearing this from them made me so happy.

Do you miss being a part of the film industry? If Charan (Ram Charan) was not there, I would have missed it. But I have no regrets since he took over and I feel connected to films through him. He is hard-working and focused and I am happy that he is no longer the brat that he was as a child.

What excited you to develop these lighthouses? Our ministry runs 180 lighthouses along the coastline of India. They are important navigational tools for ships, but I realised that they can become important tourist destinations. And of the three we have identified, India's first will be developed just off the coast of Mumbai. It’s a unique lighthouse and you have to sail to the island that makes it attractive for tourists. It’s a historical island with a fort built around it by Kanhoji Angre. We feel that the partnership with the ministry of tourism should have happened a long time ago. But, better late than never. These are beautiful assets waiting to be exploited for tourism. When I studied in Boston, I saw that the entire east coast of America has a number of lighthouses. It adds a full maritime experience and Europe and US do it naturally and very well. If we can recreate that in India, we can attract a lot of tourists both from India and abroad. Mumbai is one of the best coastal cities and this is the most underutilised asset we have. We live in Mumbai, but don’t even know what it is like to go to the sea. People around the world appreciate it, look after it well and even exploit it as a government. To me, it is exciting, personally and professionally.

Your favourite holiday destination? Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It’s just by default that I have become minister of shipping, but I love the sea, I love swimming and diving.