The recent brouhaha surrounding Balasaheb Thackeray's (yes, of the esteemed Shiv Sena fame) ire against Shahrukh Khan left me truly befuddled. Surely a man of his political stature had better items on his agenda than to rabble rouse against an actor (even one as prolific as Shahrukh Khan), was the Shiv Sena venting its anger against posters and publicity material of Shahrukh's forthcoming movie "my name is Khan" (MNIK) truly justified?? Consequently surely someone as business savvy such as Shahrukh - the megastar, and the only Indian to have been gifted an island in the palm shaped Dubai island project, know better than to irk the wrath of the marathi tigers? surely not!
Is there perhaps more than meets this eye? Shahrukh's MNIK is set to release around the corner, and SRK himself is in desperate need of a blockbuster hit, especially since rival Aamir Khan having just delivered the biggest hit of hindi cinema. But is there a deeper motive to this apparently ill-timed controversies. Remember these are unusual times we live in, where unusual methods are used by stars to get publicity for their films, so where we had an Aamir Khan turning up in various disguises around the country to publicise "3 idiots" Salman Khan participated in a horse race to promote "Veer", even the Big Bachhan, appeared as a news anchor on a leading television channel to publicise his news-channel themed movie "Rann" which releases today. Is then too far fetched to think that b irking the Sena into a ban of MNIK, SRK is perhaps attempting the most perverse publicity stunt of them all? Fellow freEks may remember a previous situation, where SRK complained of detention at an American Airport due to his muslim roots, and made utilised every possible newsbyte to regurgitate that his name indeed was Khan!!!
One must also not forget that Bal Thackeray and his cohorts, have been around for ages, and are all too aware of how the political game is played. As a lawyer of an American fast food chain, I had the opportunity to meet with Sena officials, who had negotiated the amount of damage, that they would be carrying out to the chains store, in protesting against lack of employment of the marathi manoos. Why the extended courtesy you ask? surely you will remember that it very corporations such as this that would fill up the Sena's coffers come election time! Surely then the Sena whose mileage with its votebank suffered during the last elections, due to the emergence of Raj Thackeray, would not be amiss from using this publicity opportunity!
While it far be from me to pass judgement on this issue, remember that necessity ( or publicity) always makes strange bedfellows!!!
extra freeky: MNIK releases in two weeks from now!
One must also not forget that Bal Thackeray and his cohorts, have been around for ages, and are all too aware of how the political game is played. As a lawyer of an American fast food chain, I had the opportunity to meet with Sena officials, who had negotiated the amount of damage, that they would be carrying out to the chains store, in protesting against lack of employment of the marathi manoos. Why the extended courtesy you ask? surely you will remember that it very corporations such as this that would fill up the Sena's coffers come election time! Surely then the Sena whose mileage with its votebank suffered during the last elections, due to the emergence of Raj Thackeray, would not be amiss from using this publicity opportunity!
While it far be from me to pass judgement on this issue, remember that necessity ( or publicity) always makes strange bedfellows!!!
extra freeky: MNIK releases in two weeks from now!
