Padmavati row threatens to turn 2017 into one of worst years for Bollywood

Controversy sells tickets, but with the ongoing crisis over the release of Padmavati reaching a crescendo and the movie’s release being deferred, film makers and marketers are struggling to salvage what was projected as one of the biggest box office grossers of the year. Not only could this convert a bad year for Bollywood into a worse one, it could also force brands to reassess their engagement with big budget films say several marketing experts.

Tanishq, one of the most prominent brands associated with the film has designed a special Padmavati collection that went on sale just before Diwali. And although the company, speaking to the media after the launch of its collection had said that the association had been extremely profitable, promotion executives across studios point out that the mud being slung at the film will also likely stick to the brand.

The movie starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh is based around a fictional event involving Mughal king Alauddin Khilji and Rajput queen Rani Padmavati. It has been dogged by controversy right from the start; its sets have been vandalised and the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been the target of violent and acrimonious protests for a while now.

While controversies send marketers in a tizzy, do they actually impact theatre footfalls as many industry observers seem to indicate? Marketers say that there is no way to quantify or trace a clear cause-and-effect relationship. “Unless it is the talent (actor or director) who is facing public ire and is being boycotted, it is very difficult to say whether contextual controversies affect footfalls. Having said that, some films have benefitted from the increased visibility and chatter around them. Udta Punjab is a good example,” says a film marketer on the condition of anonymity.