Mumbai: He has endorsed almost every consumer product right from hair oil to cars, but megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he is not a salesman.
The 69-year-old actor is amused by Bollywood`s current obsession with marketing films and the crores spent to draw attention of the audience.
"Now... Gosh I fail to even imagine the various `technologies` that are put into use for attention to be drawn towards a particular film.
Any and every medium that has the patronage or attention of the masses, is exploited for the benefit of a film on release.
"Spend tons of money, almost the entire budget of the film at times, to get in the audience for that crucial first week and rest," he wrote in his blog.
Bachchan talked about how actors like Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan leave no stone unturned to promote their films.
"During the time I was hosting `Big Boss`, Akshay had come along to be a part of the programme to promote one of his films. After finishing his stint he needed to rush back to Mumbai to attend another programme on TV for the same promotion. I asked him why he was rushing around like this. He said, almost apologetically, “what to do sir ji, one has to do this!!”
"On a casual conversation with Shah Rukh once, he told Abhishek I think, `I am very good at marketing, if you ever need any help on that, let me know`," the veteran actor said.
Bachchan said he is not capable of such marketing but has to succumb to it unwillingly due to the demands of the times.
"I am not a salesman and to expect this talent from me would be wishful thinking. But the region and area of work that we function in, has made it mandatory for all of us to succumb unwillingly into the depths of its operations.
"I asked Rajinikanth once what he thought of all this... He gave me a simple answer. `I am an actor Amit ji, not a salesman. What is the need to go and sell myself. If a film is good it will be patronised, if not it shall not. No amount of selling shall drive a paying audience into the theatre, if basic factors are not in place.` End of argument!," Bachchan said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.