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The reluctant icon

HIS CHOICE Abhishek Bachchan at the launch Photo: S. SUBRAMANIUM

Bollywood heartthrob Abhishek Bachchan is the latest to add to the image of brand Omega. Bachchan junior took over the mantle of the next brand ambassador of the Swiss watchmaker at Taj Palace in New Delhi this past Thursday. Clad in grey and black for the occasion, amid flashbulbs and media attention,the `style icon' of Generation Y however denied having any particular style quotient.

Being yourself

"Style is all about being yourself. I don't look at myself as a style icon," said the actor whose Bunty acts in Bunty Aur Babli created quite a ripple at the box office last year. "I don't have a bunch of designers to do my wardrobe. I let my mother decide what I should wear," he added, flaunting the trademark infectious smile.

"I am not brand savvy. It is about economics and about endorsing a product that you believe in," was his reply to a question about whether he believed in being selective in endorsements. "I believe in the values this brand stands for; that of beauty, excellence, precision and quality," he said, adding that he did not endorse products that he didn't use in daily life.

Addressing the press conference, Stephen Urquhart, President, Omega, said, "Omega has registered excellent growth in the Indian market. Our aim is to make India one of the top five markets within three to five years. We thereby need a new face with whom the consumers could relate." With Omega, Abhishek has entered a league that includes the likes of Nicole Kidman, Cindy Crawford, Michael Schumacher, Pierce Brosnan and Sonali Bendre.

Remakes and sequels

Talking about the projects he is currently involved in, Abhishek expressed his opinion about the trend of filming remakes and sequels in Bollywood.

"The basic foundation of both these genres of filmmaking is the same. A remake is a filmmaker's own interpretation of an earlier version," he said adding that how the market responds to sequels was yet to be ascertained largely. Abhishek is currently working in Umrao Jaan and Dhoom-2. While one is a remake, the other is a sequel.

And by the way, Abhishek is important for Omega given the fact that its competitors like Tag Heur and Titan have roped in Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan respectively as their brand ambassadors.

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