RIP: My tribute to Gunjan Kapur

Tears are rolling down my cheeks, as I begin to write this as a tribute to the wonderful person Gunjan Kapur, who lost her life this evening, battling for it in the ICU for almost a week.

A degree from London...

I first interacted with Gunjan over the phone in 2009, when she was studying in London. She did her dissertation for her M.A. Degree in Public Relations at the University of Westminster, London, with me as her guide for it.

The topic she chose for her thesis was, ‘How Shilpa Shetty became an iconic brand’ during and after the Celebrity Big Brother show in UK, which catapulted the Bollywood actress to international fame. The purpose of this study was to explore how the blend of strategic PR and branding, contributed in creating Brand Shilpa Shetty... and I have to say, Gunjan covered the subject exceptionally well.

Making me proud...

Returning to India after her graduation, Gunjan worked at a PR agency in Delhi, and quit that job and joined PROP (PR Orientation Programme), a 20-day workshop, which I conducted with around 10 students at my office in Mumbai in 2010.

When I had asked her, why she quit a full-fledged PR job, to join the workshop, she'd said, she wanted to learn more about PR. After the 20-day workshop of 3 hours a day, Gunjan gave me a great compliment. She told me, "I learnt more at PROP than what I learnt working at the PR agency in Delhi." I felt so proud hearing that.

At PROP, Gunjan was always a sparkling and smiling student and would listen to the lectures and talks of all the speakers including me, with unwavering concentration. She would also ask some very intelligent and thought-provoking questions in the Q&A sessions and had good team spirit.

After the workshop, I didn't get to interact with her, except on Facebook where she would like or comment on pics and status messages at times.

Meanwhile, Gunjan changed a few jobs and cities, and one day messaged me that she was starting her own PR agency in Mumbai. She had given me another reason to feel proud. The girl who did her thesis with me as the guide and learnt more from a workshop conducted by me, was now going to have a PR agency of her own. Sometime later, I learnt that Gunjan stopped working as an independent publicist, to work for the reputed Zee group's music division.

Around two weeks ago, Facebook intimated me about her birthday and I sent her birthday wishes on WhatsApp. Next day, I spoke to her and helped with an issue regarding her past phone number. In her brief chat, she told me she was happy working with Zee Music and that she had a great time celebrating her birthday a day ago. I was happy for her. The newbie I'd guided in whatever little way in PR, was now on her own feet and growing amazingly.

And then... suddenly...

And then... suddenly... after a few days, I got a call from one of my PR friends Pritam Sharma (who was a speaker at PROP) saying, he read a newspaper report stating Gunjan had an accident. My friend Akshaye Rathi too (who was also a speaker at PROP) got to know about this and we were so shocked and pained to hear about it. I managed to speak to Gunjan Kapur's friend and namesake, Gunjan Wathodkar, who gave me more details.

Apparently, she had fallen from the 4th floor of her apartment, which did not have a protecting grill, and landed on a car parked below. It sounded horrific and disturbing to think of... kind of stuff we only see in the movies.

Raw deal...

I googled and read the news in the Mumbai Mirror tabloid, though later, her family informed me of discrepancies in the report. Also, I found no mention of the incident in any other media. The very media she catered to on a day-to-day basis as a PR, seemed to have given her a raw deal in her time of suffering.

Surprisingly, (and as per statements to Police) none of her friends present at her residence while this happened, saw her falling.

I visited her family at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute, where they were going through a tough time. Felt great pain and helplessness to see them going through the trauma of their daughter's state.

She was in the ICU... was declared brain dead by the doctors... but was breathing on ventilator. I was also told about some delays and indifference of some hospital staff which made matters worse for the family in agony.

For her friends, Friendship Day will never be the same again...

Gunjan's mom, father, brother, her colleague Neha Titus and some friends were there. I sat with them for a while, sometimes discussing, sometimes in silence, and sometimes thinking about how smart and intelligent Gunjan always was.

Today (Friendship Day) evening, I got to know that Gunjan is no more. Life is strange to some nice people. One moment its showering blessings. Next moment, it takes them all away.

A life of learning and achievement...

As the days and years pass by, life will go on for her family and friends... but the pain of life being cruel to a wonderful 27-year-old person will stay forever.

Gunjan lived a short life, but from whatever I knew of her, I can say that she lived a life of constant learning; a life of achievement.

She took off like a bird, flew high in her profession and has now flown speedily to God. May His company give her peace now and forever.

-Dale Bhagwagar

Trial by Media on Hema Malini?

Dear Media, did you 'see' WHICH car was "speeding" or "overspeeding"?

Do any of the cars have a mechanism to check the last-driven speed?

Are you pointing fingers at Hema Malini's driver just because he was driving a celebrity?

Just because her car was a Merc, does it make it more responsible than an Alto?

If the Alto driver files an FIR first, does it make him innocent?

All this is not to underestimate the sad loss of an innocent life. An accident is always saddening.

But isn't the way our media handles such issues related to celebrities, questionable? Doesn't it try to behave like private detectives, Police, moral Police and even a Judge? Doesn't it do a 'trial by media' and pass TRP-centric verdicts even before Police can investigate or a Court can sit to judge?

Is this behaviour of our Media, fair on the delicate image and easily dentable brand of a celebrity? #HemaMaliniCarAccident

Images Courtesy: Internet

Celebrity PR clients need even better hand-holding and guiding

The PR spectrum is continually changing and expanding, but some entertainment publicists are not changing with the times. They seem to be ignoring the dictum: Evolve or perish.

Traditional PR tactics are phasing out, and making way for professional handling of crisis management on web and mobile space, even if it requires guerilla tactics.

Bollywood celebrity clients need even better hand-holding and guiding in this changing world of public relations.

Contemporary PRs need to understand this, adapt and adjust... and real quickly. It's a new mindset taking over the industry; demanding a paradigm shift from publicity professionals.

When Bollywood publicist Dale Bhagwagar applied the power of persuasion on Amitabh Bachchan

Whistling Woods International (WWI) featured my experiences with megastar Amitabh Bachchan in their newsletter called Stamp. While everyone else got half or one-page articles, two pages were devoted to mine. Feels nice... kinda leaving a king size stamp on time, eh! ;-) Gee!  Thanx WWI, Priyanka Pai, Alison Dcruz, Aditya Mandre, Karn Gupta, Saili Kocharekar, Niviya Augustine, Pooja Doke, Jaison Chacko, Sumedha KS & Team.

BELOW: REPRODUCING THE ARTICLE VERBATIM FOR YOUR EASY READING... ALL GREEN LIGHTS, CHEERS...

The power of persuasion

(Applied on Amitabh Bachchan)

In the words of Bollywood’s only PR guru Dale Bhagwagar

Today, I am a leading publicist in Bollywood. But I was less than 25 and just out of college, when I first spoke to Amitabh Bachchan in 1995.

Back then, with great encouragement and support from my mentor grandpa, I had come down from my relatively quiet hometown, Nagpur, to the concrete jungle of Mumbai (then Bombay) as a journalist, and joined the Bollywood magazine Cine Blitz magazine as Chief Sub-Editor and Reporter, just a day before this incident.

Amitabh Bachchan was my screen idol and I’d grown up watching his films like Satte Pe Satta, Aakhree Raasta, Naseeb, Amar Akbar Anthony, Agneepath and my favourite Main Azaad Hoon; the one which dealt with the media.

It was my second day in office, when one of my seniors told me about an ABCL (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited) Press Conference to take place same afternoon, for announcing a corporate tie-up of the company.

Since Cine Blitz is a gossip magazine and there is not much that corporate Press Conferences contribute to gossip, the interest levels amongst staffers to cover it were low. Moreover, they expected the CEO of ABCL to address it, and not the mega star himself. “Big B will not be there, but you can go and cover it anyway,” they told me almost sarcastically, while I enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity.

Of course, being new in Mumbai and just having joined the office a day ago, I wanted to take all the chances and explore every opportunity life threw towards me. Bachchan was too big a one to miss; in fact, the biggest, especially for a teen just out of college.

Happily and in hope, I reached the hotel where the event was to be conducted. Soon, it was announced, “Mr Bachchan is held up in traffic and would be about 25 minutes late.” What? Did I hear, “Mr Bachchan”? Oh yes! He was coming.

My joy knew no bounds when the mega star finally arrived, but I did not ask him a single question during the entire Conference. Instead, I was carefully noting my points and making a few exclusive questions which the 150-odd media men at the event seemed to have missed.

As soon as the Conference was over and we broke for tea, I waded my way through a sea of around 40 over-enthusiastic photographers, who’d rushed towards the stage, to click candid pictures of the biggest star our country has ever witnessed.

In those days, Amitabh Bachchan hardly gave exclusive interviews, neither was there any show like Kaun Banega Crorepati, or a blog, where you’d see or read him often. Then, it was terribly difficult for a journalist to get an exclusive interview with Big B, and next to impossible for a teen journo like me.

But where was I to give up!!

Finding my way through the photographers, I reached the stage just in time before he left. I looked small in front of the six-footer, but stood rock solid, refusing to move, till he noticed. Giving a look of amusement, as he glanced at me, I felt, as if I’d managed to win my first battle.

Having caught his attention (even if it was for a second), I immediately introduced myself and shot, “Sir, I need four minutes of your precious time.” Hearing this, Bachchan gave me a very surprised look! “Why didn’t you ask me your questions during the Conference?” he inquired in his baritone voice, which was almost unnerving for me then. “Sir, because I wanted an exclusive interview,” I replied as boldly as I could.

Now, anyone who is aware of journalism would know that exclusives are next to impossible at Press Conferences. But this was exactly where I was keen to score. So I pushed him again, stressing, “Sir, I won’t take more than four minutes.” At this time, Bachchan gave a strong look at me.

‘Does this kid think he can walk into a Press Conference with 150 scribes and walk out with an exclusive’, he might have thought. I repeated my plea, almost refusing to budge. “Speak to my secretary tomorrow and take an appointment,” he said, as if wanting to evade and pass through me. “Four minutes; only four minutes, sir,” I requested again with a smile this time.

Wonder if it was my smile or the power of persuasion that worked. Cause Bachchan gave me the last of those stern looks that fine day, as he gave up and said, “Ok son, your time starts now”. One after the other, I quickly shot my questions, while all the photographers circled us, clicking away.

Thoroughly engrossed in the interview, Bachchan answered each and every query in his characteristic style. When all my questions were over, he looked at his watch, then at me, and smiled. “You took fifteen minutes,” he remarked. Thanking him, I smiled back, knowing well that he ‘gave’ them to me.

I went back to my office and proclaimed, “I’ve managed an exclusive interview of Amitabh Bachchan”. Everyone laughed! I knew they wouldn’t believe me, so I took out my tape recorder and made them hear the conversation. Their jaws dropped.

Our footnote: Two years after this incident Dale Bhagwagar quit journalism and moved to Public Relations. A few years later, he handled PR for two of Bachchan’s movies namely Boom and Aetbaar and had various interactions with the megastar.

-- Article, as appeared in
the Stamp newsletter

of Whistling Woods International

Best Bollywood PR

Public Relations on a roll

From what a PR gets, he might make a living. But from what a PR gives, he might make a life.

PR's have been media kings from quite some time. Almost from the time I gave this interview three years ago.

I entered PR sixteen years ago after being a journalist for eleven years prior to that (since my school days). Then, I shifted from journalism to PR mostly because PRs are better paid than journalists.

Journalism v/s PR

This is because journalism is a profession, while PR is a business. But mind you, not all PRs are able to make good monies. Many who are not able to adjust and adapt to changing times also fade away. There are also many journalists and editors who have entered PR from time to time, but haven't been able to sustain.

This is simply because the profession is extremely demanding. It takes a lot of passion to stay put. Some think PR is a lot of stress and builds anxiety like no one’s business. True to an extent! But a great PR also learns how to handle that and treat his work with media like a game. Once that feeling sets in, PR is cakewalk and the passion for delivering impacting service, peaks. And then, he plays.

What it takes to be a great PR

To be a successful PR, one has to have a combination of at least the following -- intelligence, knowledge of market, intellect, street-smartness, contacts, connections, shrewdness, manipulation abilities, writing abilities, scheming techniques and tact and flamboyance to spin. And these are only the basics.

There's lot more to PR including spokesmanship, legal knowledge and mass perception management, psychology and even basic knowledge of psychiatry! Yes, you read it right! There are times, a PR has to double up almost like a psychiatrist; advising and guiding some clients who could be jittery about controversies and scandals that crop up in our gossip-hungry media.

So basically, a great PR is like a magician; building, promoting and protecting celebrities.

Embrace the winds of change

Change is not about revolution, as much as it is about evolution. In recent times, technology, gadgetry and internet have taken over our world by storm. Gone are the days when your publicist could make friends with a couple of journalists from select publications and channels and run his business. Now, PR is about a mass communication network. Change is writ all over the place.

Networking is a daily commitment…

For a PR specialist, networking is a daily commitment, not a monthly ritual. There are loads of newspapers, channels, websites and radio stations to cater to. I have a total mailing list of 2,500 journalists across India and abroad, and though it’s probably the largest mailing list amongst my fraternity, I still feel, I will double it soon.

It’s all about control

I’m often asked how much control a publicist exercises in what the journalists and public hear. Let me tell you point blank, if you are co-operative with your PR, it’s almost ninety percent control. Today, PRs decide where to break exclusive stories, what angles and news pegs to highlight, what pictures to give out and who they want to patronise for exclusive news breaks.

A PR trick

On so many occasions, I have broken huge stories on foreign websites catering to NRIs and created extensive impact by spreading the web links, and also through newswire services on the net. Then, I have got the same story picked up by our national television channels, who have given it more importance, just because of its international web presence. This is only one little PR trick. But three years ago, this strategy would have been considered professional harakiri, as then, not many valued the impact of the internet, or trusted its content’s credibility.

Understanding the ‘person’ behind the ‘actor’

As Bollywood goes global, I foresee the ascent of international PR firms in our market. But like that of star secretaries (Rikku Rakesh Nath continues to be a success, inspite of several so-called ‘celeb-management’ firms having cropped up); PR too is a personalised job. A ‘client servicing’ rep from a corporate agency cannot understand the moods, ambitions, insecurities and temperaments of our Bollywood stars. But a personal and dedicated independent PR or agency can. So the independent (read indigenous) PRs and the relatively smaller agencies are going to have a better grip on the industry’s propaganda needs, as they also bring in the element of trust, faith and secrecy in their dealings and day to day workings. Any celebrity definitely needs this kind of security and discretion, which the big agencies mostly lack in.

Ram Gopal Varma is a wise man

Talking about changing times, one can’t ignore the trend of blogging. I feel, blogging is a good and creative habit for many, BUT NOT FOR BIG STARS. For them, it could turn a PR blunder in the long run. See, in today’s times, there is already an overflow of information and news from all quarters. If you are not a celebrity, not many are interested to read what you update on a daily basis. If you are Amitabh Bachchan, you end up making your daily comments and feelings ‘commonplace’, and can even face the risk of diluting the all-important ‘aura’ because of it. Celebrity blogging will be the in thing for a few more years, and then its shine will begin to diminish. Though, it will continue to have a lot of scope for film promotion, for consolidating the branding of film-makers (Ram Gopal Varma is a wise man to have understood this soon), product or company promotion, and for teaching. As of now, these areas haven’t been properly explored by bloggers.

‘Brand SRK’ just got bigger! (in case, you haven’t noticed!!)

Shah Rukh Khan has always maintained that he has never faced discrimination for being a Muslim. In fact, about two weeks ago, when Emran Hashmi went public with a complaint (which he strangely retracted a few days later) about discrimination by a housing society, citing communal reasons, Shah Rukh gave a statement to the media, saying that in the past 44 years, he had never felt any such discrimination. He also said that the Emran Hashmi case was a one-off incident and should not be seen with communal eyes.

Khant do that!

When SRK was frisked and detained for more than an hour by airport officials in US this week, every media carried his story. “They (the officials) said my name was common to some name that popped up on the computer," SRK stated, apparently referring to his Muslim name.

Following this, there have been debates over the possibility of him trying to milk this episode for the promotion of his forthcoming film ‘My Name Is Khan’ directed by his buddy Karan Johar and reportedly based on a similar subject of community discrimination.

‘OSO’ revisited !?!

Even as SRK vehemently denies the charge, there has been widespread speculation, especially among the youth on the internet that the Badshah of Bollywood is leaving no stone unturned to play up this episode for the sake of free international mileage worth crores that his film is receiving. People all over Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, as well as a lot of bloggers and websites, have been wondering aloud whether King Khan is flashing the community card to boost the pre-release hype for his movie.

PR is an intriguing mind game in a media minefield

I remember, when Shilpa Shetty faced racial discrimination in Celebrity Big Brother, the whole of UK rallied behind her.

I was her publicist then and was overwhelmed with UK journalists calling me in Mumbai just to ascertain facts, while Shilpa faced Jade Goody’s onslaughts in the CBB House. But when SRK has alleged community discrimination, even many Indians are calling it a ‘publicity stunt’. Not fair.

There is no such thing as bad publicity!

Let’s not forget that we are living in a market-driven world obsessed with spice and sensationalism and ruled by TRPs and tabloid journalism. If the public can lap up all the daily gossip with a mischievous smile, why are they questioning Shah Rukh’s genuine case so much?

SRK does not need gimmicks

The episode angered and troubled him, so he spoke to the media. Big deal! He’s a public figure, and a huge one at that. He has all the right to voice his opinion. What’s more! Shah Rukh Khan does not need gimmicks. Yes, I agree that with this community discrimination controversy, ‘Brand SRK’ has just got bigger the world over, but that’s by default. Though this event would undoubtedly prop up the hype for ‘My Name Is Khan’, it couldn’t be intentional. And even if it is, what’s the harm? At least, the incident exposes the continuous discrimination towards the Muslim community in America and gives hope to so many people around the world, seeking a life of respect. If people are hell bent on terming it a stunt; then they should call it a stunt with a cause!

PR is a perception game

Shah Rukh has raised a voice which so many throughout the world are identifying with. It’s only a matter of time (or maybe, with the right kind of PR) when his voice will be heard in the right perspective.

It’s never too late to be great

I remember each and every word of the opening sequence in the movie ‘Troy’ (it inspired me a lot). It goes – “Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity and so we ask ourselves, will our actions echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we're gone and wonder who we were? How bravely we fought, how fiercely we loved…” So true! Just like the great Napoléon Bonaparte once stated, “Immortality is the recollection one leaves.” Last but not the least, a quote by Daniel J. Boorstin – “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.”

Turn down the downturn

I’m often asked if good PR can really help in times of downturn. My answer is… when trading is difficult, advertising and marketing budgets are the first to be slashed. PR is the cheaper option to advertising. Moreover, getting attention is getting money. As they say, ‘Jo dikhta hai, woh bikta hai’. The clever ones could enhance visibility to tide over the recession.

Secure return on investment

So what kind of PR could actors and makers do that would add to their image and brand? The number one objective for your publicist is to plan and position you as a stronger brand than before. Whether you are big or on the verge of making it to the top – whether you are looking at a personal PR exercise or film branding – the right kind of planned media coverage is going to help. This, in turn, will be helpful in securing return on investment, which is invaluable.

PR is cost-effective

Many argue that advertising achieves similar results to a PR exercise. Yes, somewhat. But don’t forget that consumers have always relied and believed more in the written word, like articles and snippets, than on advertising. Also, advertising campaigns cost a lot more than PR campaigns.

Smart PR is the cost-effective way to get your message across to the relevant audience. And everyone needs to manage their reputation in front of their target audience. Realising all this, a lot of advertising and marketing agencies have now launched PR divisions. Yes, PR, advertising and marketing combined, do make a better impact, but for obvious monetary reasons, PR is taking the lead now.

And Bollywood is already taking the PR route to get their message across. We know of so many prominent actors who are strategizing to ‘consolidate’ their position in the industry, while their competitors are thinking of ‘survival’ during recession.

Consolidate your brand

The question is, does it make sense to wait for things to get better, or the market to improve? If you ask me, I’d say, it never makes sense to wait for anything. It’s better to get going, pump up your PR and actively market yourself. For those who do, the field will be relatively open at such a crucial time. I would say, this is ‘the’ time for some neat brand consolidation. So don’t wait for recession to end. Start stamping your brand.

‘Amitabh Bachchan ran away with Rekha!…’

Media has always been about great and shocking headlines. ‘Amitabh Bachchan ran away with Rekha!’ will always make a better headline than ‘Laloo Prasad ran away with a train!’

Let me tell you a PR secret of mine. When chalking out news angles, story ideas and planning gossip pegs for my clients, I always think in headlines. Then, the text just follows and fits into place. It’s simple logic. If the headline catches your reader’s attention (like this one caught yours), more than half your battle is won. The rest of it depends on how gripping the content and adjoining picture is.

Photographs speak for themselves. A good picture will get better placements, while an ordinary one could get the best of story ideas dropped. If your publicist gets this combo right, national mileage can be cakewalk for you or your movie. A good PR will always brainstorm and then guide you with smart headlines.

PRs are often labelled ‘spin doctors’ because of their ability to turn, twist, tweak and spin write-ups in a way which suits and benefits their clients. I do this all the time. Though, since I have a journalistic background (I was a scribe for eight years before I turned PR 12 years ago), my conscience makes sure I draw a line of correctness and ethics even while I deal with gossip, spice and sensationalism; elements that today’s market-driven media seeks in abundance.

I have handled PR for Priyanka Chopra in her initial days, when she was surrounded by controversies. Later, I took care of Shilpa Shetty’s publicity and endeavoured to brand her as ‘the diva in news 24/7’ during the most spectacular five years of her career. This was through the thick and thin of the Celebrity Big Brother controversy, followed by the Richard Gere pecks controversy and many many many more. I used media help to build and propel newbie Sherlyn Chopra into the bold, shocking and outrageous brand that she is now known to be. Some time ago, I was hired by The Man magazine to put out all the gossip about the now-famous Neetu Chandra male-fantasy photo-shoot. The news-hammering probably got Neetu more national media mileage than the pre-release hype of her films. Please note that I am not bragging here, but trying to make a point that I achieved all this, simply by making some striking and hard-hitting headlines for the press releases and articles about my clients.

Some time ago a popular website termed me the “King of Spin”. Around the same time, the Live India television channel alleged that I create Controversy Queens out of my actress clients. To tell you the truth, I am no king – I’m just a PR who has mastered the art of playing with headlines. And if that makes me a Controversy Queen-maker, I don’t really mind the tag. Cause I am just doing my job.

If you have your publicist think in headlines too, you can be bang-on with our gossip-hungry media. You too can achieve national headlines and Breaking News for yourself and your products.

Making dreams come true!

This week, there was an unusual mail I received. A reader asked me a strange question – ‘Why PR? Why is there a need for a thing like this and why do we need to know about it?’ Today’s piece explains just that. Why do you need to read up on PR, imaging, branding or crisis management? That might just be the question popping in your minds too.

We are living in a world where perception is reality. For better or for worse, not many are bothered about what the reality is. Most people believe in all the news and gossip they read in the papers or see on television. They CHOOSE to believe all of the written word. Though reality might be different. But most readers, viewers, surfers and listeners (and you are well aware that this figure runs into lakhs and crores) are not interested in reality as much as they are in glamour and spice.

Who is it that forms these perceptions and helps make opinions. Obviously, the papers, the TV channels, the various websites, social media and the FM stations. And who is it that influences the journalists, TV hosts and anchors, RJ’s and web writers the best? It is the publicists. It’s the daily job of a publicist to reach out, convince the media to cover his clients in a certain way and influence the perceptions of the fourth estate. He does this, so that the write-ups and reports reflect his client’s sentiments, requirements and needs.

For a good publicist, communication is a daily commitment, not a monthly ritual. He dedicates his life and times to communication and his clients. He helps make dreams come true. That’s why, I often say, from what a PR gets, he might make a living. But from what a PR gives, he might make a life.