A film star speaks
Media attention is routine stuff for film star Hema Malini. But in August 2007 the spotlight was on her for a question she asked in Parliament as a Rajya Sabha member The film star, who is also a brand ambassador for a leading RO water company, asked the minister of state for finance, whether charging full excise duty on water purifier components made them costlier than imported products. She also asked if excise duty will be waived for RO purifier components. The minister said that imported filters for households attracted 10 per cent customs. So they were not necessarily cheaper than domestic products. But in the 2008-2009 budget, the finance minister has taken care of the tinsel stars' concern: duty on water purifiers and filtration units has been reduced from 16 to 8 per cent.