PR is a very complicated and conniving world today!

INDRANI RAJKHOWA, TIMES LIFE, THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI: How would you define contemporary Bollywood PR?

DALE: We are super schemers and master manipulators in the garb of publicists. We play mind-games with media, over story ideas, news and gossip pegs, in order to promote and image our clients in the way we want. We turn, twist, spin, plant and plug stories to suit our strategies and media plans for our clients. I’ve never revealed this before, so you might be surprised that today my job is equally about concealment of stories, protection and crisis management, than imaging and branding. There are times, when I am specifically hired to divert media attention from certain facets of an actor’s life, than to build images. I’m even working in secrecy, for this extremely famous actress, while no one, except my small staff and media reps, is aware of what I’m plugging where, and in what name. PR is a very complicated and conniving world today. And not many in the profession itself; have fully understood its tentacles.

Images of politicians are at higher risk!

SHALINI SINGH, GLITTERING INDIA, MUMBAI: There is an increase in shoe-throwing incidents across the country. Do you think this is the right way of showing anger towards the politicians?

DALE: Unlike an actor or a businessman; whose images and reputations can be rectified with crisis management, the scene with a politician is different. Once the image of a politician is marred, it’s very difficult to bring it back to original state. Maybe, a lot of aam junta has realised this delicate situation. That is why they want to hurt the politicians (for their misdoings) where it actually hurts, i.e. their 'brand' and 'image'. Considering the politicos are ruthless in the way they sway public opinion and often misuse public sentiments to their advantage, hurling shoes at them by the public, is just replying in a similar language; the one people feel, the politicos understand. From that point of view, its justified. But I should add that its unfortunate, that we don’t have many politicians in our country who we can look up to.