Let me tell you something interesting. The Bollywood PR world isn’t what you think it is. Not even close.
Having been in entertainment PR for nearly three decades, my services have often been seeked not only by big as well as upcoming celebrities and filmmakers, but by businesses, corporate heads, and many beauty pageant winners. I have even handled crisis management for 20 Bigg Boss contestants and PR campaigns for two Godmen and a Godwoman.
They have often called me when they need someone they can trust. When the headlines go wrong. When their truth needs defending. When their story needs telling. And I’ve seen things. Things that would make you question everything you read in the media.
What if I told you…
What if I told you that nearly half the “Breaking News” about celebrities isn’t actually news at all? It’s manufactured. Calculated. Designed. Here’s what happens. A movie release date gets set. Then, like clockwork, controversy emerges. Coincidence? Hardly.
I’ve sat in rooms where Tuesday scandals were planned because they maximize weekly coverage. Where Friday controversies were scheduled because they boost weekend box-office numbers. This isn’t guesswork. It’s science.
The media chess game
Let me take you behind the scenes. News websites need traffic. Traffic equals revenue. Revenue keeps the lights on.
As a PR professional who understands technology, I see the analytics. I track the algorithms. I know exactly how stories spread across digital platforms within minutes. And here’s what most don’t want you to know: influence can be bought. Film reviews can easily be planted… word to word. Stars for certain film reviews can also be bought. I can do it with the snap of my fingers. And since we have no law governing paid news yet I don’t consider it so unethical in a an ultra-PR world.
See, you got to understand that a most of the stuff that you see around you is for publicity or has been sensationalised. So just complaining selectively about film reviews is not correct. If you want to go behind the dark side of PR there are lots of things that are plugged and planted in the news media all the time whether it is in film business politics or even the food and health industry.
Trolls are jumping up and down on social media about the dark side of Bollywood PR. Actors are giving introduce about PR left, right and centre on YouTube.
But I think if one really want to jump up and down about the dark side of any PR activity, then one should first look at articles which manipulate thought processes about food and health. Because those are the ones that pose grave danger. Entertainment and Bollywood spice and gossip should come much much later as they are hardly the dark side. Unless you talking about fake, false and fabricated stuff, which is definitely a big problem. But simple candid news or fluffy gossip is hardly The dark side of Bollywood PR. It’s just the entertainment side.
Over the years, I’ve chalked my own path which has resulted in quite a few firsts in the PR profession, and many of them have become trends. Like one of the trends I started was cutting off my celebrity PR clients from journalists and news editors and making sure the media goes through the publicist to reach them. I did this for almost 10 years at a stretch, before others started doing the same. Today it is called one of the dark sides of Bollywood PR. Veteran news media people go on podcasts nowadays and complain about this, cribbing about how PRs don’t let them reach stars directly. Can I help that? No. I did what I had to do because it is my job to create and control narrative.
Yes, I strategise, plug and plant articles all the time and I have been doing this for 28 years in PR. As a publicist, if I cannot set a narrative or channelise public opinion then I am not a good PR, right? Because, to be great at their jobs, that is what communication and reputation management professionals do in public relations. That is what we are hired for. That is part of the job. And I like to believe that I have been doing my job pretty well.
However, what I don’t do is something unethical. I’ve been offered deals. Suppress this story. Highlight that angle. Create this narrative. I study these deals and decide if I really want to take them up, and which ones I want to take up for crisis management. I am overparticular about that. Why? Because once you sacrifice ethics, you’ve lost the only thing that truly matters – trust.
The human behind the headline
Let me share something personal. I’ve held the hands of brilliant performers having panic attacks before interviews. I have guided them, tutored them, and have had to sometimes even feed them about what to say to the media. On the other hand, I’ve seen talent broken by headlines designed for clicks, not truth. I love to help such people get out of controversies and shine again. These are real people. Not commodities. When you understand this simple truth, it changes everything about how you approach publicity.
My clients know one thing for certain – I see them as humans first, celebrities second. Always. I was a journalist for 11 years before turning PR and I have been in public relation since 27 years now. I have never been a ‘yes man’ to any celebrity. And this has also help to me stand apart. This approach hasn’t made me popular with everyone in the industry. But it’s earned me something more valuable: loyalty.
The digital battlefield
Make no mistake. Today’s media scene moves at lightning speed. A whisper becomes a roar in hours. A rumour is presented by trolls as a “fact” before breakfast. Some PR professionals are playing catch-up. Constantly reacting. Always defensive.
I take a different approach. By understanding the technological infrastructure of news dissemination, I can anticipate patterns, predict coverage trajectories, and prepare comprehensive strategies with Plan A and Plan B before issues even materialize. This isn’t just experience speaking. It’s an understanding of modern tools, and some street-smartness combined with old-school values.
The simple truth
Here’s what I know for certain. The current publicity model is unsustainable. Audiences aren’t stupid. They sense manipulation if it’s not done with finnese. They recognize patterns. Their trust erodes with every manufactured controversy. The news publications that will survive aren’t the ones chasing momentary traffic spikes. They’re the ones rebuilding credibility day by day, story by story.
I tell my clients one thing consistently: “Your headline count doesn’t build legacy. The substance of your contribution does.”
What if there’s a better way?
I believe in something revolutionary in my industry. Truth. Not sanitized versions of it. Not strategic portions of it. The whole, complex, beautiful truth. Because here’s what being in this news industry for all these decades has taught me: authenticity isn’t just morally right – it’s strategically brilliant.
When everyone else is manufacturing stories, the genuine article stands out. The very fact that you are still reading this one, stands proof of what I mean. When everyone else is playing games, straightforward communication cuts through.
My promise to you
After navigating the treacherous waters of Bollywood publicity for decades, I’ve developed a compass that never fails.
I help my clients tell their stories with integrity. Even when a little exaggeration and sensationalism needs to be done to feed the gossip hungry media. I do a balancing act and help my PR clients build relationships with media based on mutual respect. I also help them understand that sustainable influence comes from consistency, not controversy.
This PR approach requires more work. More thought. More care. But the results speak for themselves.
My clients don’t just make it to the headlines. They’re building legacies that last. They’re developing authentic connections with audiences that withstand the test of time.
The choice is yours
Every day, I make a choice. Inspite of catering to PR hype and sensationalism, I choose to use my influence responsibly. I choose to elevate the standards of an industry that desperately needs it. I choose to remember the human beings behind every headline.
And I invite others – clients, media partners, fellow PR professionals – to join me. Because what if we all decided that truth matters? What if we all recognized that ethical publicity isn’t just the right PR approach – it’s the effective PR approach?
That’s the future I’m working toward. One story at a time. One client at a time. One headline at a time. And I’m just getting started.