Gujarat may have the Big B, but Bengal has King Khan. Not to be outdone by Narendra Modi in roping in tourists, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has enlisted the help of Shah Rukh Khan by making him the state's brand ambassador.

State Tourism Minister Rachpal Singh said, "We know Amitabh Bachchan as the Gujarat's brand ambassador but now we have Shah Rukh. He has great acceptability. We can tap into foreign market."

Bengal is a state that boasts both mountains and the sea. Yet tourism had lagged for decades under the Left rule. Shah Rukh, who already owns the Kolkata Knight Rider's franchise, has a special place in the Bengali heart.

But as is typical in Bengal, there are voices of criticism too. Bengal has had a long lull in tourism. Now with Brand Shah Rukh propping up Brand Bengal, the government certainly hopes to break that jinx and revive an economy that has been on life support for too long.