Filmmaker and producer Karan Johar has sparked a fresh debate by criticising the paid PR culture in Bollywood. Highlighting the dependence on paid PR, the 'Koffee with Karan' host urged the industry to stop the constant self-promotion and let their actual work do the talking.
Karan Johar On Bollywood's Paid PR
In a recent conversation with The Week, Karan said, "I think Bollywood should stop doing PR. It will be much better. They should let their achievement speak for itself because, unfortunately, all of the PR is now paid PR. So, if you want to say you are looking gorgeous, you just have to pay. If you want to say that you are the best actor on planet Earth, you have to pay."
Bollywood on PR Overdrive
"I think we are on overdrive mode when it comes to PR. Whether they are doing method marketing or not is secondary. They should stop marketing themselves and let their work speak for themselves," he said.
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Karan's comments were made in response to an audience question that specifically referenced young actors like Janhvi Kapoor and Shanaya Kapoor and their recent promotional strategies. However, the filmmaker was quick to clarify that his criticism was not targeted at any individual artist, but it was his observation on the broader culture in recent years. "I don't mean the people you are talking about; I mean everyone in general. Because I think PR's in overdrive mode. There's a certain way of doing it. Publicity, marketing- these are very important work categories, and they should be treated in that specific way," he said.
Blurring the Lines - Paid PR Confusion
Addressing further how paid PR has blurred reality, he said, "Now everything is available at a price, and that is something that could be deeply upsetting because then you really can't gauge what's connecting and what's not. Because now you're looking at everything and you're like, ‘Are people liking it or have they been paid to like it?' I don't know, I can't tell half the time. It's confusing me because even I am sometimes paying for it, so I don't know."
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Karan Johar's Projects
Karan Johar's upcoming productions under his banner Dharma Productions include 'Chand Mera Dil' and 'Naagzilla'. Meanwhile, some of his recent production credits include 'Homebound', 'Yodha', and 'Kill'.
He also revealed that the much-awaited ninth season of his 'Koffee With Karan' show is likely to premiere around Diwali.
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