Conscience talks

GUNJAN KAPUR, MA PUBLIC RELATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINISTER, LONDON: You openly admit that you twist, turn and spin stories. Can PR ever be ethical? What’s your take?

DALE: I come from a journalistic background, a place where ethics have ruled over the decades. So while I manipulate as a PR, I also let my conscience do the talking. It keeps me far away from attempting the unethical. I do exaggerate a bit to provide the required spice, but I don’t really lie.

Follow your heart

ASHOK K SHARMA, ENTREPRENEUR, AUTHOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR (INFORMATION), U.P. GOVERNMENT: What made you choose the PR line?

DALE: I was first attracted to the glamour and glitz, so I ventured into entertainment journalism. Then, after eight years as a journalist, I realised I was getting stagnated. I started looking for an alternate profession, when I realised PR is one that is very close to journalism, as I would be practically dealing with the same media people who were my colleagues as a journalist. But to be honest, it was the monies that PR offered that attracted me more and more towards it. I felt, while journalism was a profession, PR was a business. I wasn’t wrong.

ASHOK K SHARMA: So how did you kickstart your career in PR?

DALE: In 1997, there was this big Naval awards event on the decommissioned ship; the historical INS Vikrant. This event was to have participation from a lot of film celebrities. But the event management agency handling it, were not able to take care of the PR side of it. There were just 3-4 days left, when they asked me if I could take over and offered me good monies. I told them, I was a journalist and knew all the people of my fraternity in mainstream media; so I could try to get my friends to attend. They agreed and I slogged for the next three days and did my best. The event finally received a huge media turnout and front page coverage in most of the top line papers the next day. That’s the time I realised I could do PR too and quite effectively. Same week, I decided to shift gears from journalism to public relations and started the process. I have a particular style of working which only works for me. And that gives a niche.

ASHOK K SHARMA: What is your average day like?

DALE: Actually, there is no rule. It completely depends on my schedule, which varies from day to day, mostly depending on the assignments I’m working on. 

ASHOK K SHARMA: You look smart, fit, pleasant and happy. Do you gym? Or are you into yoga? What is your fitness mantra?

DALE: Thanks for the compliment. But I rarely exercise. Though, I’m a lot into right eating habits… greens, naturopathy and stuff. Lots of raw veggies, fruits and dry fruits keeps me going at my maddening pace. And I love to take on more and more work all the time. But at the same time I’m a big foodie. I love Biryani, Dum Aloo Amritsari and vegetables like Dill and Spinach. At times, I indulge myself with gourmet pizzas, pastas, rolls and cheesy dips. Basically, I love good food. 

ASHOK K SHARMA: Can you briefly explain the way you spend your time every day?

DALE: When I’m not on my comp, I’m out doing appointments or watching movies at trial shows or on DVD. And if I get time in between, I hang out at Indian or Italian eateries with my friends. Most of my friends have crazier are busier schedules than mine, so many a times, I just land up at their offices and pull them out with me. They hate me for doing that, but by the end of the evening they thank me for the same. I am pretty unstoppable if I really want to do something madly. My best friends have always known me like that so they don’t mind much.

 ASHOK K SHARMA: Have you thought about doing PR for politicians? Has anybody approached you so far? What would be your prescription, if any infamous politician wants you to handle or guide his PR operations?

DALE: Nowadays most politicians are infamous for something or the other. But I’d like to handle Narendra Modi because I feel I can do wonders for him to increase his popularity with the youth. He is immensely popular in Gujarat, but the time has come when he has to go national. The wave of passion (the kind that people of his state show for him) has to spread all over the country, if he has to outdo his competitors at a national level. I also feel Raj Thackeray has achieved what he wanted to achieve with the entire hullabaloo we saw last year. He got free media mileage worth crores of rupees but failed to translate it into something constructive. I really feel, he desperately needs a media manipulator like me. Yes, you heard it right! I AM a manipulator and I have no qualms in admitting that. Because manipulating, creating and moulding perceptions, is my JOB.

ASHOK K SHARMA: Has any PR expert inspired you?

DALE: Yes, I do keep a track of international entertainment PRs like the notorious Max Clifford, Madonna’s gossip-churning publicist Liz Rosenberg, subtle self-branding maestro Glenn Selig, Jackie Cooper of JCPR, Lee Solters, Matthew Freud, Roland Rudd, the flamboyant Lizzie Grubman, the sharp and smart Marcus Brewster, the fearful iron-lady Pat Kingsley, the ‘News of the World’ editor-turned-PR Andy Coulson and ‘media futurist’ Gerd Leonhard. 

ASHOK K SHARMA: Any message for the youngsters aspiring to follow your footsteps?

DALE: Certainly, I’d like to tell them all, not to follow me but to follow their hearts. This little quality could take them places; even ahead of me.

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.

Controversies haven’t affected Shilpa's popularity

HOOSNA, LONDON, UK: Shilpa Shetty has been the most controversial film actress off late. She has even received a lot of negative press?  Is slander actually good to be in the public eye? Where does one draw the line?

DALE: Ever since ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ happened to her, Shilpa Shetty has been falling into some controversy or the other. And though she has tried her best to evade them, they seem to have a choli daaman ka saath in her case. Luckily, most of the controversies have been clarified and negative press hasn’t harmed her at all. I guess, as long as one is not creating controversies as part of media hype, its fine. But inadvertently, when one falls into it, the best way is to let your PR machinery handle it, give it the right turn and end it your way.

Gossiping on gossip !

ASHA CHOWDARY, DNA, BANGALORE: What do celebrities feel about people who are crazy about them and want to be like them?

DALE: We are living in a society where idolizing and adulation are part and parcel of our daily lifestyles. Even our media is so celeb-driven that they constantly want to sneak even into the personal lives of stars. Don’t be surprised, but many actors too want it to be this way. It kind of endorses their popularity. So they feed the media with gossip which satisfies their needs, wants and publicity ambitions. Most of the bigger stars don’t succumb to this, but the smaller ones do. It’s a world with ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’ attitude and most celebs and so-called celebs can’t help living in it and doing whatever it takes to survive.

‘The Sexy Shirtless Salman’ is a hardcore PR move

SUMITA BANNERJEE, KOLKATA: I heard that Salman Khan will play Tarzan in a new Anees Bazmee film? Could he be doing this role to find just another reason to remove his shirt?

DALE: Tarzan never wore a shirt in the first place, so for a change, Salman won’t need to remove one. As long as the audience loves them, Salman is enjoying his ‘sexy bare-chested nanga-punga antics’. I think, he does them more and more to please his fans. I look at it as a hardcore PR move on his part.

Nude or not nude; Ranbir will make it

MANGESH SARPOTDAR, DELHI: Do you think Ranbir Kapoor is over-hyped? Can this kind of imaging raise expectations and backfire on the newcomer?

DALE: Yes, it can. The initial hype, during Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’, put a lot of pressure on the debutante to deliver cent percent. But sadly, the film couldn’t work the promised magic, and Ranbir had to start over again from scratch. Recklessly hyping Ranbir before the film was a bad PR strategy and it put him behind by a couple of months. Later, even Siddharth Anand’s ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ couldn’t help him much, though it turned out to be a semi-hit. But I think, he has good potential and will bounce back and enter the big league one day. Ranbir is now filming for Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ opposite Katrina Kaif. His other forthcoming projects include ‘Wake Up Sid’, where he will be seen opposite Konkona Sen Sharma. The film is directed by Ayaan Mukherjee & produced by Karan Johar. Let’s see if these get him more fans; many more than the ones who drooled over his nude scene in ‘Saawariya’ (wink).

Promotion of a cause shouldn’t be misconstrued as exploitation of women

NAGMA HASAN, DECCAN CHRONICLE, HYDERABAD: So by using the female form in this manner for promoting its causes, you don’t think PETA is exploiting women? Isn't this strengthening the belief of people that women are mere commodities?

DALE: It’s all in the mind. If any woman believes she is a commodity, then she is. But if she believes in herself and in the strength within, then women have to power to change courses, lead the world and make it a better place for the entire human race. It’s all about how one perceives it. Promotion of a cause shouldn’t be misconstrued as exploitation of women.

Glamour for a cause

NAGMA HASAN, DECCAN CHRONICLE, HYDERABAD: Does the concept of PETA using women in bare minimum clothes work successfully in conveying the message to the people? Do these posters reach the masses and convey the right message considering a country like India where more than half the population is not educated?

DALE: If glamour provides a platform to PETA for getting its message across, then it’s fine. As long as the message is correctly conveyed, the glam and bold concepts are acceptable. It’s a simple PR principle. The purpose is catching public attention. Once that is achieved, it is easier to hammer in the message. Of course, it goes without saying that the advertising and marketing strategies should not cross cultural and ethical boundaries. If a poster uses glamorous concepts to convey a strong message and have the desired impact, then be it! After all, how many of us will even give a second glance to a poster showing patting an animal, with a message to avoid cruelty to animals. But everyone will notice with wide eyes, a poster which uses glamour to convey the same message. The very fact that we are having a discussion over this makes me believe that PETA has caught the attention of the public and the media alike. Half their battle is won.