Dev and Koel Mallick in a still from Paglu 2

The lead pair of Tolly blockbuster franchise Paglu, Dev and Koel Mallick, have starred in a video to add more bite to the state government’s dengue campaign.

The idea of using the stars for the campaign came from chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who recently asked mayor Sovan Chatterjee to do something “Paglu style” to reach out to more people, said sources.

“The state government approached me to be a part of the dengue campaign. I shot for a short video yesterday, in which I tell people what they can do to prevent dengue and what they should do if they are infected with the virus. The video is not a part of Paglu 2 promotion. I hope my contribution in spreading awareness against the disease is of some help to people,” said Dev.

“I appear at the end of the video, asking people to be aware of the disease and stay well. The video will go on air soon,” said Koel.

“Some organisations are also planning awareness drives with which I have got involved. The disease has taken a toll on people’s health and lives. Till we have the dengue vaccine, we need to spread the word and make a conscious effort to be careful,” added Koel.

She plays a girl named Riya in Paglu 2 with whom village boy Deb, played by Dev, falls in love before being kidnapped and taken to Dubai. The love story-cum-action comedy, directed by Sujit Mondal, released last month.

The film is a sequel to Paglu, directed by Rajib, that released in May 2011.