Director Nag Ashwin's sci-fi-cum-Indian mythology flick Kalki 2898 AD has been one of the most anticipated films in the last few years. While the filmmaker had an extensive marketing and promotional campaign featuring himself (mostly), the entire cast came together for just two press meets ahead of the release of the film - one in Hyderabad, given it's a Telugu film, and the other in Mumbai, to reach out to the Hindi audience. It was reported that Prabhas wasn't keen on travelling far and wide for promotions. Curiously, it was 'Bujji', a special vehicle that he developed for the film, that did the honours instead.
This aversion to film promotions is in no way unique to Prabhas or the Telugu film industry. Tamil star Ajith hasn't promoted any of his films ever; even audio launches are out of the question. Similarly, while actor Vijay used to give media interviews earlier, in the last decade, that has stopped. Superstar Rajinikanth is also known for not being particularly fond of promotions.
For The Audience
Cut to Mumbai, and you see even a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) make every effort to promote his films across cities and platforms, and be accessible to the media and audience. And he does this not just in India but also abroad.
It is undisputed that Khan's marketing brilliance over his three-decade career has helped him build a huge, loyal fan base. His methods have also evolved with the changing times. From digital marketing and promotions to collaborations, 'Ask SRK' sessions and candid YouTube videos, he does it all. At the same time, he doesn't hesitate to step back if required. In fact, around the release of Pathaan, when Khan was facing personal turmoil and public backlash due to the legal case against his son Aryan Khan, he stayed away from promotions - it was his first film in four years - save some short Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions on X for a month. The movie went on to become a blockbuster, raking in nearly Rs 220 crore in the first two days of release.
'I Was Plain Lucky'
Is there a marketing lesson to be learnt from 'King' Khan? Ultimately, the Jawan star realises that he owes everything to his fans and the audience around the world who adore him and shower him with love. He has had his share of successes and failures, but he continues to be loved by his fans. That has made him far wiser and, in his own words from 2013, "empathetic towards others". "Being a star, it is easy for me to be prone to the notion that I'm superior, self-sufficient and fantastic, instead of realising that I was just plain lucky or got some lucky breaks," he said at a management event that year.
It is perhaps this respect he has for the audience that makes the Dunki star promote all his films and engage with his fans and the audience ahead of every release. In a recent interview with Variety, SRK said, "I come across as very flippant and happy-go-lucky, but I fully respect and realise the amount of adulation I have, how people adore me. People look up to what I do. People have given me too much respect. People have given me and my family everything that I have, people of India and all around the world, Indians and people from the subcontinent. And there's a respect that I need to keep when I play a role in any film, whether it's a Hindi film or a South Indian film or a Marathi film or a French film or a Hollywood film."
Audience behaviour has changed today and social media has made actors far more accessible than in the past. In the South, the stars may be treated as demigods, but that may soon not be enough in these times. All in all, there is a definite lesson here for those who believe that they can skip promotions in the Indian film industry.
(The author is a senior entertainment journalist and film critic)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author