27 June,2011 08:46 AM IST | | Hemal Ashar
It is becoming increasingly fashionable to rope in actors for causes. A celebrity's face and name helps a cause.
The added media attention comes with the property. It is the media's celebrity driven obsession that leads those with deep pockets to rope in celebrities, and this means actors and cricketers in India for causes. Not all of this is bad. Certain social issues and non governmental organisations (NGOs) have benefitted by having celebrities come forward to help a cause or ramp up awareness for an issue.
Yet, it is time to sharpen your journalistic skepticism when an actor suddenly wakes up and latches on to some kind of noble cause, especially just before the release of a film, with a Tendulkar-esque sense of timing the ball ufffd or the bottle, in this case.
For instance, consider actor Imran Khan's taking on the state government for raising the drinking age to 25.
The actor has been in the news, which one does not have to be a Sherlock Holmes to fathom has been the aim all along, for saying he wants to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the new regulation.u00a0
Imran Khan has made all the correct noises to the media about not endorsing alcohol but he's latching on to the cause, he says, because he is disturbed that youth do not haveu00a0 freedom of choice. While a lot of people find it ridiculous that one can marry, have children or even vote at 21 but not drink till 25, I find it more ridiculous that actors use these platforms to gain publicity before a big release and couch it in some concern for democracy, youth, freedom of choice or whatever. Delhi Belly is slated for a July 1 release, and the drinking PIL a little before it ensures that the actor gets seen on TV doing a slew of interviews, press conferences, all resulting in pre-film publicity. There is a shrewd marketing brain behind this.
A movie release today is nothing like it was previously. The run up to the movie is tremendous. Stars not so mysteriously start making some sensational statements pre-release. They circulate rumours about affairs. They even have fights with co-stars to up the ante. They make up stories about link ups with co-stars and promptly break off as soon as the film releases. They then say they were misunderstood by the press. The press is not fooled. They may give you the publicity, but they know why you are doing it. Frankly, our jelly Delhi (and Mumbai) bellies are shaking with laughter.
