Gone are the times when movie trailers and songs were enough to ensure the success of a film. Today much like the ideology adapted by brands, bollywood film producers and stars too have to woo their target audiences with out of the box, immersive and creative experiences to make sure their produce is not welcomed by empty screens at theaters.
And thus, city promotional events of big budgeted bollywood movies have become a routine culture nowadays. However, what most producers and bollywood stars do not understand is that for a promotional event to actually work in the movies’ favor, more than just the presence of its leading superstars is required.
Case in point- the promotions for action packed, bollywood flick, ‘Singh is Bling’ wrapped around a 'Style and the Sikh' themed fashion show by ace designer JJ Valaya organized by FDCI. Just imagine, stars like Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson and Lara Dutta walking the ramp in their dazzled outfits, talking about their film and engaging with audiences; sounds happening right?
Well the real event actually wasn’t. To start off, the venue of the promotional event was Yes Minister, Essex Farms in Delhi, which is a decent venue for let’s say someone’s birthday party and but definitely a misfit for a fashion show. Adding to that, media officials actually had to wait a good half hour outside the venue for their favorite stars to make their grand appearances.
Now, I agree that actors and actresses of the Indian film industry are used to be treated like kings and queens but showcasing them like one is an idea that sold in the 90s. Audiences today want their favorite stars to be more like them and not spend hours waiting for them outside a venue. This is the era of content oriented cinema we are talking about.
However, the wait was not the most painful element of the entire event. That award goes straight to the sight of models struggling to walk, not the ramp but the platform of the bowling alley in their heavy dazzling outfits. Needless to say, the fashion show was clumsy, disorganized, out of synch and did not do any justice to the designs of the renowned designer.
With a total of 9 designs at display and models unclear about where to go after the walk, this promotional event for ‘Singh is Bling’ was clearly a last minute cooked Khichdi which turned out to be a ‘Raita’ instead.
Though an interaction round with the media was supposed to be an important part of the promotional event however unjustified is only taking 3 questions stars to answer when you have called 300 media professionals to attend an alleged ‘media preview event.’
The only saving grace of the evening was dancer and director Prabhu Deva, shaking a leg with Akshay Kumar towards the end of the evening. With abrupt beginning and an even more clumsy finish the promotional event for ‘Singh is Bling’ was certainly less bling and more blah! What I cannot understand is why don’t event organizers much like film producers of the recent times, start focusing more on the content of the event altogether?
