Mumbai, Jul 13 : Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who feels that film-promotion is important these days, at the same time says that his fellow actor and friend Rajnikant does not need to promote his films, “as it happens on its own for him.”
“Promoting films has become as important and time consuming, as making them! The element of bringing to notice this vast multitude and inviting them to come and see it within a week, for that is the duration of most films these days, at least as an indicator for their commercial prospects, has now become the yardstick,” Bachchan said on his blog.
The actor feels that south superstar Rajnikant, who does not follow the practice of promotions, does not require to do so, as audiences are excited on their own to see his films. “Rajni, Rajnikant never indulges in this practice. The practice of promotions. And on occasion, when we talk film informally, he often questions me as to why I do this. Its like selling yourself like a product, he often tells me. We laugh over it, but I explain to him that he is Rajnikant, he does not need it.
For him it happens on its own. For lesser mortals like us, we need to excite audiences, to propel them to take interest, to get them into the theaters!!,” Bachchan said.
Days after the actor finished promoting his home production ‘Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap, he is now gearing to promote Prakash Jha's ‘Aarakshan', that releases on August 12.
“Great marketing minds and professionals work round the clock, monitoring, researching, what works and why and how film needs to be sold to large and diverse audience. Extensive planning is put in place and many serious discussions occur on design timings, opposition, pitch and other such technical terms, of which, I am not too familiar,” he said.
Talking about promotion strategies during his times, Big B said, “We never had it in our time and neither were we ever conscious of it. It was left to producer and distributor how it needed to be exploited. But times have changed. There is greater awareness as far as communication goes, mediums of which have increased a million fold. Funding and investment involved is too large to be given space and time for 25 or 50 weeks to gain recovery.”
“On film, the very next week people talk of next release. Speed and attention have reduced our mindset to get over any aspect with a certain rapidity and move on. Move on because, there is something to move on to. It wasn't so in earlier days. So we succumb to diktat of times. Television, radio waves, Internet, mobiles, have all taken up space that had lain vacant and not utilised,” he said.
The 68-year-old actor thanks the younger generation for this rapid change and the progress.
“We live in a world where quick fixes, quick results, rapid speech, immediate reaction and result are desired elements. Bless the new generation and change. Without fresh thought and change there would be no progress. Rapid speed brings in a vacuum. And those that cannot attach themselves to the pace will live and suffer in that bottomless, airless space,” Bachchan said. PTI
