Aamir, Akshay will ask you to pay taxes

Mumbai: Superstars Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan, two of the highest tax payers in Bollywood, will star in a documentary produced by the Income Tax Department to spread the message of tax compliance.

The documentary which is about 20 minutes long, is narrated by veteran actor Om Puri in his trademark baritone voice and will also star Priyanka Chopra, according to sources.

The documentary will be unveiled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during the first-ever Income Tax day celebrations on July 24 in New Delhi.

Akshay paid an advance tax of Rs 9 crore in March 2010, taking his total advance tax payment in the current financial year to Rs 18 crore. Aamir, with an advance tax payment of Rs 12 crore, stands second.

"The ensemble which includes Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra represent the youth and spirit of the country. They are successful and pay their income tax responsibly," a top I-T officer involved in the project said.

The documentary chronicles the journey of taxation in the country and the role of the department in collecting direct taxes for the government which subsequently are utilised for development projects.

According to sources, the film is presently undergoing editing and will be brought out in a smaller version of eight minutes as well.

The IT department is celebrating the Income Tax day to mark 150 years of taxation in the country, which began in 1860. This would also be the last year for the Income Tax Act 1961, as it will be taken over by the proposed Direct Taxes Code (DTC) from the next financial year.

The ensemble of speakers for the department during the Income Tax Day celebrations also include corporate chiefs like Infosys mentor Narayan Murthy and Wipro founder Azim Premji.