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PR in movies
By Palin Ningthoujam on Apr 29, 2008 in Indian PR industry, PR movies
Parker wrote in Blog Campaigning about Jason Bateman playing a role of a PR advisor to a difficult superhero in Will Smith’s upcoming Hancock film. He also talked about the movie, I Heart Huckabees, where Jude Law played a PR guy. Also in the movie, Thank You For Smoking, Aaron Eckhart played the role of the spokesperson for Big Tobacco.
We have seen so many movies where the actors are playing the young and smart generation next from the advertising industry. We seem to wonder when will we see our PR heroes. But doing a bit of retrospect I realise there are already some movies where PR characters are there in the storylines.
I remember watching Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise played the agent to sportstar Cuba Gooding Jr. Not exactly a PR hero but I could relate to the client-agent drama. There is also the movie, A Guy Thing, where there are two PR executives.
What about Fun with Dick and Jane where Jim Carrey played the company spokesperson who got sacked. Not the inspiring PR film type but well there is PR.
Then there is Phone Booth where Colin Farrell plays the PR guy who got trapped in a phone booth as a lunatic accuses him of doing all the wrongs int he society. So PR people lie and corrupt the society, mind that.
Back home in Bollywood, we have seen Rani Mukherji playing an escort in the film, Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag, but was introduced by her client as his PR person. What do you say to that.
Then we have Abhishek Bachchan in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna getting friendly with the magazine editor, Preity Zinta.
These Bollywood movies were not exactly PR movies but well can we take them as a start.
I guess there are many PR agencies in Mumbai handling Bollywood clients. Can some of you people persuade Pradeep Sarkar to have Konkana Sen play a PR professional in Phir Se Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag.
On Apr 29, 2008, Shashank Jaitely said:
Phone booth was closest to the reality…:-), I liked the ease with which Colin cut the deals.
In Bollywood, I think SRK can do a brilliant PR guy role, he will add the required flamboyance and glamour also
In case of female stars, Preity Zinta will be fit. Or someone can try Malika Sherawat! She know the PR rules anyway. She takes the center stage whenever Jackie Chan visits India.
On Apr 29, 2008, Palin Ningthoujam said:
Hi Shashank, I liked Phone booth too.
SRK can play the corp comm and Preity Zinta can play the agency client servicing manager. They can do a lot of nice stuff (planning, being creative, spins) and dirty (journalist on payroll, leaking negative news about competition, bribery). what say.
On Apr 30, 2008, Shashank Jaitely said:
Wow, this is setting the scene for an exciting bollywood show..!!
So when are you calling Madhur Bhandarkar with this idea?!!
On Apr 30, 2008, Palin Ningthoujam said:
Preity is a straight-mind, career-oriented young girl working in PR agency servicing a big Indian corporation where SRK is the corp comm guy. Preity starts off the account creating ideas and plans. On the way there are various crisis situations- customer complaints, takeovers, litigations, etc. SRK blames Preity for not doing good work. Preity doesn’t understand what more she can do.Then SRK asks her to get journalists on payroll, bribe, or do anything to control the negative news.
Peity tries her hand in all these things. She almost succeeded. But her conscience awake and at the last minute decided to come out openly in the media.Bigger crisis.
The company chairman finally comes out, admits mistake and apologises in the media. Indian public forgives.
All’s well that ends well. Preity gives gyaan to SRK on ethics. They both hug and kiss.
Let’s finalise the storyline and call Madhur. Any more angles?
On Apr 30, 2008, Shashank Jaitely said:
To add some masala: The company chariman is a shady corporate with mafia links. He threatens Preity and sends goon to abduct her when she blows the whistle. She runs and runs. It is raining and she is running on an empty street, no one to help her. SRK is having tea at the nearby stall, witnesses the kidnapping bid of the girl with whom he has love/hate relation. His conscience shakes him and he enters like a hero and beats the hell out of the goons. Takes shaken Priety home, she is all shaken and wet..there is fireplace….emotions runs high, they come close….************** (not public info).
The gyan session can be clubbed into these sequences…
On Apr 30, 2008, Vijayalakshmi Viswanathan said:
Wow. What a story. One suggestion though. SRK should be a ex-agency guy from Preity’s firm. It adds the spice to the love-hate relationship and gives you the creative license to build a history.
On Apr 30, 2008, Shashank Jaitely said:
Hmm….good point. All shankar ishan loy’s music tracks can be put in the flash back..!
On Apr 30, 2008, Palin Ningthoujam said:
Some time back, we were discussing the concept of open source PR where everybody pitch in their ideas on a particular PR project. We are now onto open source scripting. Need to make it at least a Filmfare award worthy storyline, if not the Academy. Carry on people put on your thinking hats. The future of Bollywood lies in our hands.
On Apr 30, 2008, Moksh Juneja said:
I did not like the fact that Rani Mukherjee’s character degraded the Public relations as a profession in Laga Chanri Mein Daag!! Midday or Mumbai Mirror in Mumbai did to a do a story after the release of the movie as how PR consultants felt about the potryal!! Everybody hated it!!
On May 1, 2008, Tushar said:
Hey, Palin.
why do you need SRK when I am around!
This is really interesting script and I would love to work for free. I also have a heroine whould would happily play a role with me - Main agar kahu… humsafar meri… Well, ask me offline and I will share the name with you. 
so, here it goes… imagine viewing this trailer on a multiplex near you….
India PR Blog
Presents…
A Palin Ningthoujam movie…
Never see before Saga of World of Public Relations…
A story about relations…
A story about two people and public between them…
A story about love, hate and passion…
A story about media & corporate world…
PR Kiya to Darna Kya!
Releasing soon in a cinema near you! Dont miss out the new exciting pair of rock stars!
On May 1, 2008, Palin Ningthoujam said:
Hi Tushar, is it the Rediffusion connection but certainly there are lots of creative sparks in your poetry aka introduction of our film.
We have the position of the Agency Head role vacant. Wanna take that instead? He is the one who says ‘Preity, go and do what you have to, but make the client (SRK) happy. I don’t want another stinker on my inbox ever again.’
On May 1, 2008, Palin Ningthoujam said:
Hey Moksh, what can we do now?
Maybe we can just smile and take it as a humour. Anyway we can ask Bush how he handles all these things.
On May 1, 2008, Tushar said:
Hey, Palin.
Am I that bad? Do I look like one?
I always suggest to my teammates that you should send minimum one stinker in your client’s mailbox per month! and you know what - it works!
Take care.
On May 1, 2008, Shashank Jaitely said:
If Tushar accepts the role, it would be great. If not, I think Bomen Irani would do great. Rest of the starcast:
SRK’s mother: Kiron Kher
SRK’s assistant (girl): Manisha Lamba
Priety’s friend at the agency: Sherlyn Chopra (glamour quotient)
Mafia don: Ashutosh Rana
Editor of “Voice of India”: Irfan Khan
Any more characters??
On May 4, 2008, Nikita Merchant said:
Never before have I enjoyed the comments more than the blog… lol… that was some mid 90s bollywood masala movie there…
Tushar - I love the title “PR kiya toh Darna kya”… hahah..
Ahem… any role for moi???
:D
Regards,
Nikita
On May 5, 2008, Palin Ningthoujam said:
Tushar, you should send stinkers to client at least once per month! Now that’s a new one. Interesting. Why we are betting on SRK is because he has a production house and we want to use that. He won’t most likely agree if somebody else is the hero. You know how he is.
Shashank, you can help us out in the casting a lot, buddy. Leave some room for that guy, Johnny Lever.
Nikita, i am hoping SRk sees this so that he don’t miss this chance of producing a story on PR with inputs from real PR professionals. His startup production house could benefit a thing or two.