I am Pritesh and I just did not like MNIK

Yesterday, I had this very interesting discussion on why MNIK is a bad product advertised well. I totally believed in what I said and the more I think about the more I am convinced as a consumer and as a marketer.

This movie has dealt with a very sensitive issues of discrimination and ill-treatment of Muslims in America and other countries in western world post 9/11. From whatever I read and heard about it in the media, the treatment of events that happened come out very much believable. However, that was not what the movie promised through it's trailers and publicity. It talked about triumph of a human in such a negative environment to bring some hope. SRK as the lead character was to share his dream of how to bring that change. How to do that small bit which will tell us 'Don't think it was end of the world. We can still make a difference.'

However when I see the execution, It really breaks my heart. I had huge expectations from this movie post reading the reviews (specially from some so-called movie critics). When I went to market (cinema hall), I had this perceived expectation from the movie (or if I can say brand MNIK) that I felt was left unsatisfied by the product. The movie as treated the issue at very trivial level, specially the 'i have a dream.. that i can bring a change' part. For most part of the movie, I felt the same self-indulgence that Anurag Kashyap had shown in No Smoking. It was all about SRK, who atleast to me, did a pathetic job as an actor. It was another 2012 for me where the protagonist is the center of the world and we as an audience are supposed to be fooled in being a slave of his adventures for 2 hours or so (much longer in the case of MNIK). Though he actually gets to meet the president (elect) but he missed his 'mission' altogether. There is only one message in the movie that 'I am Rizwan Khan and I am not a terrorist.' Mind you that he had said in first 10 minutes of the movie. I have said something similar as the title of the post. I think I have achieved a big mission too.

That was about the product. However, I feel the advertising did a great job making the buzz about this movie. Controversies regarding SRK, IPL and Shivsena's threats added on to the masala. In recent time it has become very clear that marketing has become an important element in success of any movie. 3 idiots showed us what wonders can good marketing strategy do to a good product. However, I am becoming a little skeptic regarding the controversies that are generated in media just before release of many a big banner films. My heart says they are just a co-incidence and need to come out as they show us the reality while my mind makes me believe that they are just orchestrated marketing gimmicks to create the big buzz for the movie. We all know now the low shelf life (movies in a theatre) that a movie enjoys due to piracy and rise of private entertainment channel. So may be the buzz is necessary to skim the market. I wish that is not the case, coz I as a marketer will never relate to that kind of exercise.

This post I think is as random as my discussion yesterday was. Sometime it is difficult to bring structure to an issue that also involves emotions. I think that is one of my weakness. I hope I am not the only one.