Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur) - Hindustan Times (Jaipur) - City
ACTORS PERSONALISE FILM PROMOTIONS
Stars tweeting directly to fans is like giving them an autograph online. This is the newest promo strategy for tech-savvy actors
Imagine waking up to a personalised tweet by your favourite Bollywood actor on your Twitter timeline! Well, your day is made. That sort of frenzy was seen recently, when actor Akshay Kumar sent out personalised tweets to all his followers, sharing the trailer of Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. Along with the hashtag #Toiletekpremkathatrailer, there were messages such as “Are you ready to be a part of the#swachhazaadi movement?” and “A token of gratitude for your support”. Call it a strong marketing tool or a great way to have a direct connect with fans — it’s obviously a strategy fit for the digital age, and tech-savvy stars know it. Last year, actor John Abraham surprised his fans when he tweeted to them the poster of his film Rocky Handsome, with his digital signature and a customised message for each follower. Actor Nimrat Kaur feels it’s great to stay relevant like this. “So much of what we do is online — whether it’s the release of the first look or a poster or a trailer. Fan reaction can also be assessed instantly through the Internet. This a great move by actors.” Omar Qureshi, Bollywood observer and film critic, adds, “Actors have millions of followers — a reach far greater than what most magazines and newspapers have. Plus, the smart stars know that they have to reach out beyond their fan base, and cultivate select influencers.” In the past, actor Shah Rukh Khan happily ‘spammed’ the Twitter timeline of his fans when the trailer of his film Dilwale (2015) was released on his birthday (Nov 2). Whoever wished SRK got a ‘return gift’ in the form of a personalised tweet with the link of the trailer. The message read, “Thank you for the birthday wishes. Here is a little return gift for you.” Filmmaker Onir feels that such a strategy definitely empowers lead actors, but he points out that too much of it isn’t a good thing. “If you get overboard and too personal with these promotions, it can backfire, too,” he says. “When stars post highly customised messages, fans sometimes are clever enough to guess that it’s an agency doing it on their behalf — no actor has the time to do it for thousands of fans.”
She has just shot back to back for her new films — Padman and the Sanjay Dutt biopic — with directors R. Balki (below right) and Rajkumar Hirani (below left), respectively. And Sonam Kapoor says that it has been a “brilliant experience”. “Working with R. Balki and Raju sir has been really good. Balki is just so amazing. I don’t think anyone has given me so much confidence, appreciation and love,” says Sonam, adding that she has been “extremely lucky” when it comes to her directors, and that they’re “great bosses”. She adds, “Raju sir is very amused and happy [on the sets]. I’ve been working with both of them for a while now, and they’ve been incredibly kind.” The Neerja actor — she got a National Film Award (Special Mention) for the film — adds that she is “proud” to be in Padman and the Dutt biopic. “Since January, that’s what 2017 has been all about and it feels very fulfilling. Every morning, I wake up and I’m like, ‘Thank you God, universe and my parents, for giving me all of this.’ I feel that slowly and steadily, things have kept getting better for me and, honestly, the process started five years ago.” That’s a reference to Sonam’s 2013 release Raanjhanaa, a big hit. Another feather in Sonam’s cap is her recently launched clothing brand. The actor says that the idea was to give “people a piece of what I get to wear every day”. She has collaborated on this with her sister, Rhea. “We’ve done it with a lot of honesty and involvement,” says Sonam.