Khushboo Gujarat ki to waft through Laxmi Vilas Palace

VADODARA: 'Khushboo Gujarat ki' will drift through the ornate interiors of Laxmi Vilas Palace next month.
The 124-year-old majestic palace built by Sayajirao Gaekwad III will feature in superstar Amitabh Bachchan-starrer commercial that promotes tourism spots in Gujarat.
Bachchan will visit the palace in the second week of March to shoot for the commercial. Laxmi Vilas Palace is the first private property that will be included in the tourism campaign, which will see Bachchan shooting in the heritage hotels in the next phase.
He is also expected to shoot at Champaner, an Unesco World Heritage site near Pavagadh during his visit to Vadodara. "We had offered the palace to Gujarat government and I am happy that it has been shortlisted for the tourism campaign. The commercial featuring Amitabh will be shot at the palace in March. But we are yet to get final date of Amitabh's visit," royal scion Samarjitsinh Gaekwad told TOI.
A production team will visit the palace to finalize locations for the shoot. Sources said that the superstar may visit the palace between March 8 and March 11.
Laxmi Vilas Palace is the only palace in the country that is surrounded by a sprawling golf course. Gaekwads have decided to convert the palace into a resort. It considered by the state government as one of the tourist spots to be shot for the commercial last year as well. But the government didn't go ahead with the palace shoot as it was a private property and there were some policy issues. Sources said that the Laxmi Vilas Palace has now been added to the list of tourist spot to be shot for the tourism commercial. The grand palace offers several scenic spots and the lush green golf course around it only adds to its old-world charm. Amitabh's son Abhishek Bachchan had visited the palace some years ago for shooting of a television contest.
The royal Gaekwad family is expected to meet Amitabh during his visit to the palace. The tourism commercial prepared by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd has been focusing on architectural heritage of Gujarat.