Too Many PR Stunts, Too Little Trust
When a crying fan’s emotional encounter with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and actor Vedang Raina went viral, social media was quick to suspect a publicity stunt. The man involved has denied the allegation, but years of carefully orchestrated promotional gimmicks have left audiences wary
A video clip recently went viral, showing a teary-eyed man shaking hands with Imtiaz Ali, director of Main Vaapas Aaunga, and the film’s leading man, Vedang Raina. Was he hired by PR to create an emotional aura around the film which was well-received but is struggling to survive at the box office? Dushyant Arora — the man himself — denies it. But Netizens are not convinced. “I’m the guy. Not hired. And Vedang was also moved and in tears,” tweeted Arora, a lawyer and columnist.
The public has, however, seen one too many of such ‘stunts’ to give him the benefit of the doubt.Marketing teams are known to hire audience members to create a false heightened sentiment especially when a film is not doing well. Publicity gimmicks range from brilliant cross-promotions to bizarre, manufactured controversies designed to create immediate hype. Today, the film industry’s PR machinery tends to lean heavily into what Karan Johar calls “method marketing” and social media blitzes to drive box office numbers.
‘Method marketing’ refers to Bollywood's excessive reliance on manufactured hype, engineered Public Relations output, and curated celebrity images. Johar has expressed concern that this overdrive mode makes it difficult to distinguish genuine talent and audience appreciation from paid promotions, and has urged artistes to let their work speak for them.
‘Method marketing’ is not restricted to Hindi cinema. Recently, during the promotion of Peddi, a lookalike fan of Ram Charan jumped on stage during an event. Who was that fan? How could be break the elaborate multi-layered security? And soon after where did he disappear to?
In Kolkata this week, a “fan” of Salman Khan’s brother Arbaaz Khan slipped into his car and refused to leave. Why would Arbaaz Khan have a fan so crazy as to invade his privacy? Why was this incident being recorded on camera? Such questions remain unanswered.
Pre-planned tamasha
Some time ago, Ranbir Kapoor was seen snatching a photographer’s camera and driving away. Later it was revealed that the snatch-and-run tamasha was pre-planned. At another event, Ranbir was seen snatching a fan’s phone – an incident later revealed as a not-so-smart marketing gimmick for a smartphone. Even A-list stars are drawn into such marketing rigs. Vidya Balan once disguised herself as a beggar at the Hyderabad Railway Station to promote Bobby Jasoos, and went around with a prosthetic baby bump for Kahaani. Aamir Khan famously went on a pan-India trip to promote 3 Idiots, disguising himself and challenging fans to spot him.
Filmmaker-producer Sunil Darshan stresses that publicity gimmicks have always been a part of the film industry. When his Andaaz was being released, the marketing team orchestrated a cold war between the two leading ladies, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta, when in reality the two got along like a house on fire. Darshan explains that such build-up adds sizzle to a product. Most recently, a romance was projected between the Main Aaunga lead Vedang Raina and Sharvari, though none existed.
Does it help a film succeed?
Not in the long run. They may create necessary initial buzz and secure the all-important bumper opening day, but cannot save a fundamentally weak film. While engineered controversies, ‘hook-steps’ and influencer campaigns guarantee visibility, industry experts and audiences agree that content remains king for long-term ticket sales.
The Hype Machine
· Saiyaara (2025): A photo of a man watching the film with an IV drip went viral, prompting questions over whether the emotional display was genuine or staged
· Mardaani 3 (2026): Viral “missing girls” posters in Delhi triggered alarm before being revealed as a film promotion.