The release of Piku and Bombay Velvet has made a curious case out of social media. While Piku’s word of mouth spiralled into a positive tsunami, Bombay Velvet unfortunately saw volleys of tweets and posts so negative that many blamed social media for its financial ruin.
That brings us to the prying question ― Can social media change the fortune of a film? Piku producer Ronnie Lahiri sees social media as a double edged sword.
What has happened now is that everyone has information about everything. People are discussing budget, publicity and everything related to a new release. Everybody is a critic too. It was simply crazy to see what people put up about Bombay Velvet on social media. On the contrary, it has helped Piku.
– Ronnie Lahiri (Producer of Piku)
With changing mores in movie promotions, Bollywood is finally waking up to the larger game of social media. While most are of the opinion that the negativity about Bombay Velvet started even before people consumed the trailer, there was something hugely wrong with the perception of the film. On the contrary, Piku had a different awareness, right from the moment it launched its teaser.
Word of mouth can be directed but it can’t be manipulated. Bombay Velvet had larger expectations, but the conversations around the film were beyond the content of the film. On the contrary, look at a film like Queen. It had a mainstream-ish storyline, but there was scepticism regarding the fate of the film. When the word of mouth started, everything revolved around the film, and social media contributed a huge deal for its success.
– Rudrarup Datta (Head of Marketing, Viacom18 Motion Pictures)
Unlike the medium of television or print where you can’t track the audience’s response, social media has become the buzzword because it offers instant feedback.
If you get your get your reach wrong, the movie is in trouble. We have started understanding it now. A movie like any other product has a positive and negative momentum. When a film has a positive word of mouth, digital media can amplify it, by 30 to 40 per cent. However, when a film suffers a negative volley, digital can suppress it, but only up to a certain point.
– Gautam B. Thakker, CEO, Everymedia Technologies.
The larger belief is that the use of social media is only restricted to cities and is vital for films that cater to the city-centric audience. However, many industry experts point out though city dwellers are high on social media, movies don’t make up their world entirely. But for the junta in smaller towns and villages, films and stars are one of the biggest draws. So they consume any and all information about an upcoming release with ferocity.
Dutta adds that one can’t expect a single medium to make up for the whole impact. Though social media is the catchphrase, there are 15 other mediums that pretty much make the whole ecosystem. In his opinion the latent awareness must translate into active business. And for that, a film needs a wholesome plan, and social media has a critical role to play in it
As the count of mobiles has taken over toilets in India, every working handset enabled with internet has become a potential goldmine for movie publicity. Agencies are sending their soldiers to every nook and corner of the country, tracking the incessant flow of data, so that they can gear up better for the next release. Are you clicking enough yet?
(The writer is a journalist and screenwriter who believes in the insanity of words, in print or otherwise.)
Twitter: @RanjibMazumder
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)