MUMBAI: With ‘Chennai Express’ crossing the coveted 2 Billion mark at the box-office, one thing is quite certain, with the way Bollywood has been churning out films like factory products the elite 100 crore club will soon be history. ‘Chennai Express’ coming to a position where not many get a chance to make it, is a sign that there is just one game-changer, in this case, Shah Rukh Khan.
It had been a while that Shah Rukh Khan had done an out-and-out comedy and ‘Chennai Express’ was the best opportunity in recent times he could grab not just as an actor but as a producer as well. And that’s when Shah Rukh Khan played all his cards well to ensure that ‘Chennai Express’ hit all the right chords.
Marketing Genius
Shah Rukh Khan hasn’t left a stone unturned with ‘Chennai Express’ with his role as a producer and letting his marketing brainwork do wonders. It is to be believed that the marketing plans with his previous venture ‘Ra.One’ not quite went his way as expected. Even fans did not see the ‘Shah Rukh Khan’ they have seen in recent films and quite under-rated his films like ‘Don 2’ and ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’. This one reason probably is enough for Shah Rukh Khan to mark a return the way his fans wanted to see him. And he didn’t disappoint.
Promotion Overdrive
The norm is such that if anything is promoted excessively, curiosity will arise and that’s where ‘Chennai Express’ gained as much and more to make it to the Rs 2 Billion mark. From appearing in daily soaps to comedy shows, Shah Rukh targeted all his audiences young, old, big and small to woo them to board the train. Tactfully gifting them with hugs, kisses, dancing with them (like he does to shower his love on fans on his concerts) and gifting free tickets on Raksha Bandhan to attract festive spirit. A chance of meeting the star by watching the film on weekends is a chance fans will surely not love to miss.
Brand Associations
Shah Rukh also associated ‘Chennai Express’ with brands like Nerolac, Aaj Tak, Nokia (a generous product placement and a scene added to promote the brand), ASUS, Reliance Digital, Lawman and many more some for revenue models and launching a game on the lines of ‘Temple Run’ which surely is a hit and promises money.
Festive Advantage
Another attribute that contributes to ‘Chennai Express’ being a game changer is the fact that Shah Rukh Khan cashed on the festive slot of good friend Salman Khan. It is like saying, salman nahi toh shahrukh hi sahi! While fan wars continue, it’s but obvious that the two men have immense star power, the moolah and are an instant attraction to draw crowds and even rising ticket rates made no difference.
So much that even competition took a complete back seat and ‘Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara’ was wiped off the dust. It was enough to fume another war between Ekta Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan. But by now, everyone knew ‘Chennai Express’ is what it is due to the cards played well by Shah Rukh Khan.
Shah Rukh Khan has shown that 100 crore is a thing of past, and soon films will be eyeing a bigger number. So even if it is a film like ‘Chennai Express’ or a game-changer like Shah Rukh Khan, that’s enough victory already!
