Saturday, August 3, 2013

The Lungi dance... Aspiration or Desperation?

Dear Mr. SRK,
Been brought up worshiping Bollywood in the heartland of Kollywood, I have always been and am your fan. I write this letter not to scorn you but to sympathize with you, for you are an Honorable Man :P. In DDLJ you showed the world (except Mumbai local train commuters) the best way to get into moving trains. You made the Satya watching, RGV fans view the romantic run-in-slow-motion in the field sequences in loop. You showed the world how the mere stretching of your hands (and your hands alone) in slow motion again, creates a magnetic pull that draws women towards you. You inspired and heavily funded a team lead my Gautam Gambhir to win an IPL. Ha! You sir are a living Legend. But you also made a song video as part of your soon-to-be released movie, 'Chennai Express' as a tribute to an actor sung by Honey Singh (oops, missed the Yo Yo part :P ).
Please click on the video. (View at your own risk)

I am amazed and truly intrigued to know why a mega legendary star like you, the Baadshah(King) of Bollywood would want to piggy bag on the modest popularity (Highest paid Indian actor with the biggest and craziest fan base, with first day shows premiered from 4am) of Mr. Shivajirao Gaikwad a.k.a Superstar Rajinikanth, the Thalaivar meaning 'Head of Heads??' Someone once told me that as one goes higher and higher to the top, they get more and more insecure. If you say that you aren't insecure, either the above line is flawed or you just aren't going higher. I know you desperately need a hit but here is why I don't think it's a good idea for you to have made this video.

  • Yes, we Rajini fans do get hysterical with joy when we see our Thalaivar on screen but we definitely can't tolerate it when you, the badminton champ's daughter in a baby pink chiffon and 50 odd extras with lungis are jumping around. You should have just vacated the space and left just Thalaivar's poster.
  • Yes, the song is mildly catchy, and its a good idea to have a tie-up with the Yo Yo fella, but since 'everyone' is doing that, it brings down your equity.
  • Why the Thalaivar? You did it mildly in Ra.One and now its bigger. By this association and tribute too, you are bringing down your brand image. Where is your self-confidence? Where is the SRK who comes on every channel and claims that 'He is King' (in a more refined version of Muhammad Ali)?
I read that the Thalaivar did give his consent to go ahead with this song. But whatever PR that I know you would do and are doing now, if this movie fails to impress, (impress = keeps me in the theatre through the length of the movie and not make me curse myself at the end of it), then you may lose a fan. You may have millions of fans but I have just a handful of people like you to idolize. ( a modified senti dialogue from Thalaivar's movie :P ) So it's important to me that I don't cease to be your fan. I want to see the SRK who walked and talked like the true Baadshah. The witty, suave SRK who let me be mesmerized watching Don, Kal Ho Na Ho, Baazigar and many others.


A fan with fingers crossed (well not literally, duh),
VB :)