‘Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘Dilwale’ in 2015’s biggest Bollywood marketing war
The run-up to the release of the two films will be marked by a massive promotional campaign that industry experts estimate will cost in excess of `50 crore
New Delhi: The weekend of 18 December is a much-awaited one at the Indian box office. That’s when Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Bajirao Mastani and Rohit Shetty’s romantic action comedy Dilwale will both release, and go head to head.
The run-up will be marked by a massive promotional campaign that industry experts estimate will cost in excess of ₹ 50 crore.
According to a person close to the development who did not want to be identified, the marketing budget for Dilwale, starring Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and Kajol (it’s her first film in five years) is estimated to be ₹ 30-40 crore, while that for Bajirao Mastani will be around ₹ 20 crore.
“The pressure here is on Dilwale because it’s SRK, Kajol and Rohit Shetty coming together. For Dilwale to be a success, it needs to do at least ₹ 250 crore (of business at the box office)," added the person.
Vinit Karnik, national director, entertainment at media buying company GroupM, says promotional strategies adopted by both films have been quite different.
“Bajirao took the traditional, three-month route, peaking the excitement, settling down and then peaking again. Dilwale started in the last 40 days to begin at the peak and stay there," he said. While Bajirao’s appeal lies in its grandeur, scale and Bhansali’s reputation as a great filmmaker, Dilwale is expected to bring its own share of audiences for Khan, who is regarded as the country’s biggest entertainer.
The teaser of Bhansali’s magnum opus was released by production company Eros International in July, nearly five months before release, along with an Eros-distributed film Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Dilwale came out with a trailer soon after Diwali and has just launched its first song.
“We wanted to get the message across that this isn’t a film like any other," said Prerna Singh, chief marketing officer at Eros International. “This is India’s biggest love story for international audiences and Bajrangi gave us that kind of a reach. I think we hit home."
To reach out especially to international audiences, the trailer is being attached to the new James Bond film, Spectre, in the UK and the US.
The teaser was followed by elaborate song launches. Gajanana, a devotional song from the film (in honour of Ganesha) was launched coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi, and Eros followed it up by reaching out to women audiences with Deewani Mastani and Pinga, two other numbers. To launch the former, Padukone walked the ramp at the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour in Gurgaon, tapping into north Indian, youth and fashion markets.
Starting this week, the cast will be seen in a series of chat sessions with influential figures, recounting their journey and memories of the difficult film. Eros will be airing these both online and on multiple television channels. Last month, Padukone visited the City Palace in Jaipur to meet Princess Diya Kumari and had her Deewani Mastani song projected on the palace walls. Eros is still in negotiations with corporate sponsors.
The Dilwale team declined to comment.
The last time two such big films clashed was during Diwali 2012 with Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan and the Ajay Devgn-starrer Son of Sardaar. Incidentally, both proved winners at the box office.
Industry opinion is divided on the clash. While the first person cited in the story termed it “stupid" because of the high stakes involved, Karnik of GroupM doesn’t see it as a problem.
“We’ve often seen back-to-back releases for festive seasons like Diwali and Eid," he said. “Plus, both Dilwale and Bajirao get a clear and rare three-week window after release since there is nothing else to look forward to until Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar-starrer Wazir on 8 January. So, I don’t see it as a clash."
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said the clash is about more than just business. “There is no doubt two big films can co-exist and they have in the past, but this is also a fight for screens, show timings and footfalls. Their business gets divided," he added.
Kamal Gianchandani, chief executive at theatre chain PVR Pictures, expects a fair split in terms of screens for the two films. “The audiences will watch one of the two first. We are confident that they will come back for the second film in either the same or the next week. We don’t expect any business loss," he claimed.
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