Tollywood star and Trinamul Congres MP Dipak Adhikari aka Dev is all set to replace superstar Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador for Bengal tourism department. The homegrown superstar would step into the shoes of his Bollywood counterpart on account of the latter’s unavailability owing to his busy schedule.

The surprise announcement came from Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the fag end of a meeting of the state industrial promotion board which took place at the Nabanna Sabhaghar on Wednesday when Banerjee requested the actor-cum-politician to shoulder the responsibility and to which Dev promptly agreed.

Clearing confusion on whether Shah Rukh Khan is being removed as the state’s ambassador, a job he was handed by Banerjee after she assumed power in 2011, the chief minister clarified that no such moves are being contemplated by the government for now. Only Dev would shoulder the limited responsibility of lending his face and name to promote the state’s tourism sector, an area which Banerjee has earmarked as among the state’s top priority for development.

Interestingly, Banerjee has only recently shifted controversial bureaucrat Nandini Chakraborty as secretary to the state tourism department after her performance as secretary to the Governor was objected to by both the Raj Bhavan as well as by the state’s principal opposition party, the BJP.

Banerjee’s offer for Dev came right before the chief minister rose from her hour-and-half long meeting and it appeared so abruptly that the actor was visibly taken by disbelief and looked bemused. He, however, agreed to Banerjee’s request without fielding a question.

“I would ask the tourism department to make Dev their brand ambassador. Shah Rukh is there for us, but he hardly finds time since he is so busy,” Banerjee said.

Drawing attention to the Bollywood superstar’s earlier video for promotion of tourism in the state, Banerjee requested filmmaker Goutam Ghosh to make a promotion video sequel. “Let Dev gather two-three people of his choice and lend their faces to it,” she declared.

The state’s tourism department has gained international recognition at the recently concluded ITB, Berlin – one of the biggest trade and tourism fairs of the globe –with brand Bengal receiving a push after bagging the Best Cultural Destination award. Banerjee, sources said, was only keen to take that momentum forward.