The web is your best friend when looking for a work-from-home journalism internship in India. LinkedIn and other job portals are ripe with internship opportunities for journalism freshers and students.
Alternatively, students can also look for internships through websites of media groups. Dale Bhagwagar Media Group is currently offering a 2-month online internship opportunity in India.
While it is an unpaid internship, there is unlimited scope for learning and growth. It is a great chance to work from home and gain exposure to the functioning and operations of the media industry.
After a news report that debutant actor Samarpan Singh’s bearded look resembled that of Shahid Kapoor’s look as Dr Kabir in the superhit movie Kabir Singh, a section of the media has chosen to carry a rejoinder.
Disagreeing that Samarpan’s look resembles Kabir, the popular website India Shorts has stated that the actor’s rugged bearded suited-booted look, gait, style and attitude is closer to the look of the character of Rocky played by Yash in the more recent megahit KGF movies.
“He may be a Singh, and he may have a similar beard, and he may also be a doctor in real life. But nah, we’d say, he’s seems like stunning Rocky than crazy Kabir,” wrote the site.
“Yash aced it in KGF, and Samarpan is more like Yash’s character Rocky than the Dr Kabir of Kabir Singh. But yes, one thing we agree on and that is — the guy makes a good choice for Bollywood roles,” the site concluded.
For the record, the stylish Samarpan Singh made a rocking debut with the web series LuvDown on Disney+ Hotstar. The series has been watched with appreciation and anxiety by viewers during its initial run and has got a fresh lease on YouTube. Laced with sarcastic humour, LuvDown is a rom-com revolving around the story of a couple stuck together in a flat during the pandemic.
Bollywood’s only PR guru Dale Bhagwagar is also the only specialist on Bigg Boss. Having handled the PR for a full 20 contestants while they have been on the controversial show, Dale also has guts to call a spade a spade. He boldly addresses queries in this exclusive no-holds-barred interview to QNA India.
Bigg Boss 13 has shifted from Lonavla to Filmcity Studios in Goregaon, Mumbai. Do you think it’s a good move?
Dale Bhagwagar: That fresh breath of Lonavla air that the Bigg Boss Housemates felt in the garden area is missing. Also, knowing that they were far away from Mumbai city, gave the contestants a feel of being separated from their near and dear ones, which went perfectly with the show’s concept. That is now missing too.
But being at Filmcity, has its own share of advantages too. Availability for props, food items, staff etc would definitely be better when in Mumbai. Travel time for staff and Salman Khan is less.
Moreover, security is better as Filmcity has two security gates before one reaches any studio floor. The distance between the first and second gate is almost 2 kilometers. So for any anti-Bigg Boss protest morchas to walk all the way, would be quite a task, and also provide the makers ample time to call for police help, just in case any protest morcha breaks through the first security gate.
Bigg Boss House
Will Bigg Boss 13 get better TRPs than last season?
Dale Bhagwagar: I have a feeling Bigg Boss TRPs may not rise with the passing of its seasons now. The reasons are many. The attention span of people have changed. Also, most youth want to watch shows on the go, and not sit in front of television sets anymore. Though on Voot, the show has limited its visibility by being absent on YouTube; the most popular platform for videos.
Another reason is that the show has deviated from its original concept of being truthful to reality television, and feels more and more like a game show. Being a publicist in the entertainment field and having handled the PR for the maximum Bigg Boss contestants and watched them closely, I’m of the impression that the media publicity for the show also needs more innovativeness and improvement.
Many more journalists need to receive its daily synopsis and publicity images. The PR images for the media could be of better size, correct format and higher resolution too. This would make the journalist’s job of covering Bigg Boss, easier. Scribes may then refrain from searching and lifting random images from FB pages or channel website, which may not satisfy their needs for a great image-resolution.
Apart from all this, one has to also understand that Gen Z does not sit and watch TV serials. So most of the times, they identify quite less with the TV stars which feature more and more on Bigg Boss nowadays. All these and many more transformational changes could give the fortunes of Bigg Boss a punchy boost.
Bigg Boss approaches a lot of celebrities, but only a few of them finally go to the Bigg Boss House. Do you think this is a promotional ploy by the makers to create a wider buzz for the show before it rolls?
Bollywood PR Dale Bhagwagar
Dale Bhagwagar: Ha ha! It seems you have stumbled upon some secret. Yes, this does create a buzz initially, as not all who are approached are aware of the secrecy clause in BB contracts. So they yap and talk and hint, or tell their friends that they have been approached for Bigg Boss. Some even pompously write on FB that BB approaches them every year. But I don’t think that kind of PR buzz helps them. If they really want to be on the show by getting in the limelight, or catch the attention of the makers, there are other intelligent PR strategies and methods.
What if the selection process goes on public voting?
Dale Bhagwagar: That could be an interesting turn. But the public will have to see the drama quotient of the contestants and judge by that. Only then will it work well. Hai na.
Is it better to have only celebrities in Bigg Boss or is it better to have common people with celebrities?
Dale Bhagwagar: The hero of the show should be the concept. I feel, the best thing for Bigg Boss will be to focus on its original ‘reality television’ format and reduce the number of games and tasks. I also strongly feel that Bigg Boss should have two seasons every year — one with celebs and another with commoners.
What do you have to say about most contestants who win Bigg Boss, but are not able to remain in the news after winning? What could be the reason?
Dale Bhagwagar: The primary reason for this is that success goes to their head. The months they spend in isolation makes them believe that the show has made superstars out of them. When they meet their family and friends on the show, they hear stories of how they are being talked about in the outside world; about how famous they have become etc etc etc. They think they have ‘arrived’ and this thought goes to their head.
When they come out they are mobbed, first by the media and then by the people on the streets. They get a lot of instant recognition. In all this hullabaloo, most of them forget that PR plays an important role in the imaging, branding and consistency of any publicity exercise.
What they completely fail to realize is that long-term fame is not about hype, but about imaging and branding. That is why so many Bigg Boss contestants lose out in the long run, with most of these disappearing into oblivion. Even the winners.
“All Bollywood actresses need to understand and accept that controversies are a ‘business’ for media. Only when they adapt, is when they will be able to take advantage of the situations media presents. Otherwise, they’ll risk resisting change, till a new generation comes and laps it up.” -Dale Bhagwagar
Megastar Shah Rukh Khan and the ever-sizzling Kajol.
“Actress Kajol kick-started her career in the showbiz in the 90s when the PR machinery was not in force. In the 90s, it was all about how actors conducted themselves in front of the media without the help of any PRs,” says an article on Bollywood Bubble.
However, Bollywood’s only PR guru Dale Bhagwagar has reacted in disagreement. “It’s incorrect to say that strong PR didn’t exist in the 90s. I’ve myself handled more than a dozen clients at any given time during the 90s too,” he tweeted.
“Though Kajol is a diva, Bollywood Bubble seems to be bumbling with ignorance about entertainment PR,” laughs Dale, who has handled the media for Hrithik Roshan, Shilpa Shetty, Priyanka Chopra and films like Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Don and Farhan Akhtar-starrer Rock On!!, apart from being a crisis management specialist to umpteen Bigg Boss contestants over the years.
“During the 90’s, there have been great PRs such as Gopal Pandey, RR Pathak, Raju Kariya, Ajit Ghosh, Hilla Sethna, Keshav Rai, Harish Sharma, Susheel Sharma, Peter Martis, Parag Desai, Indermohan Pannu, Shahid Khan, Arun-Gaja and Rajendra Rao.”
Filmstar Kajol — a diva she is. (Image courtesy: Internet)
“They have planned elaborate publicity campaigns, advised and guided actors with image-building, have been an integral part of PR strategies, and wielded much more influence on media than most of the current publicists. I know, because I have been there,” says the publicist who started out in PR in the 90s and went on to become a trendsetter.
Dale is one of the few actively surviving Bollywood publicists of that time and still leads the PR brigade in innovation. A simple search with his name brings up thousands of web results. The PR expert points out that public relations existed in tinsel town much before the 90s. “Bollywood PR has been thriving since the days of Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Sunil Dutt and Dilip Kumar,” remarks Dale, who also handled personal PR for Dev Anand as well as his last film Chargesheet.
A file picture of Bollywood’s only PR guru Dale Bhagwagar with actor Dev Anand, PR Bunny Reuben, and with other prominent Bollywood publicists from the 90s and later. (Image courtesy: Twitter)
“We have had PR greats such as VP Sathe whose publicity agency had a monopoly over media campaigns in the 50s and 60s. And then Bunny Reuben, who handled the PR for Raj Kapoor and films of Yash Chopra, BR Chopra, Basu Bhattacharya and GP Sippy. It’s been boom-time for PRs all the way since then.” Point taken.
“The market for casting in Bollywood films, short films and television serials has grown manifold after the dominance of internet,” says the Indian film industry’s leading casting director Ahana Mohammed.
The lady who has been in the business of casting actors and actresses for many top projects and assisted in arranging select key artistes in movies like Bang Baaja Baaraat, Yaariyan, Grand Masti and Agneepath, feels its boom time for her business.
A mass media graduate in advertising and marketing, the sought-after casting director has a rich experience of nine years in the business of casting and artist management. Along with handling the casting for film, television and music artistes, she often manages a lot of models for the fashion circuit as well.
“We have around 500 Bollywood films being made every year and almost the same amount of television serials, daily soaps and entertainment programmes across the wide spectrum of TV channels. The best part is that now there are even a whole lot of short films and music videos to be tapped on the internet. It’s never been a better time for actors to get work, expand their horizons beyond movies and earn more,” analyzes Ahana. She makes it a point to add that inspite of this boom, “the film and modeling industry has a tremendous potential for growth.”
“Earlier advertising was restricted to print media and television. But that has changed over the last three years. Online advertising is fast catching up and many companies are now allocating almost half of their publicity budget to internet advertising. Thus the market is expanding rapidly and so is the need for established as well as newer faces,” concludes Ahana.
Bollywood PR guru Dale Bhagwagar is the Rajinikanth of Bollywood PR. Over the years, the publicist has made his own rules, own styles and own world. Apart from being widely quoted across all Indian media, he is the only publicist from the country who has been quoted in international media such as BBC World, BBC Radio, Sky News, Channel 4, The Times, Guardian, The Independent and many more.
Among some 200-odd clients he has worked with, Dale has also been instrumental in shaping images of Hrithik Roshan, Shilpa Shetty, Priyanka Chopra and movies like Don and Rock On!! Plus, some 20 scandalous names who have been on Bigg Boss. We grill him on some sensitive topics here and he answers with great honesty.
You have always been in favour of the digital media. Do you think the print media will be over soon?
Dale: It may come as a surprise to you, but let me tell you that while Print Media is a dying medium almost all over the world, India is one of the only countries where it has been thriving and sometimes even growing. This is mainly because India has such a wide variety of languages and language newspapers. So while the urban readers are slowly shifting to checking their daily dose of news on desktops, laptops and mobile phones; there is still a humongous chunk of readers in the rural segment who boost the readership and circulation of newspapers, newspaper supplements and magazines. Having said that, Print is indeed a dying medium. Because the youth is slowly stopping to patronize it. So the coming generations are not going to subscribe to newspapers at their homes… unless they do it online. But language newspapers will survive much longer than English papers. So vernacular Press has nothing to worry for now. Plus, certain English newspapers like The Times Of India, DNA, Hindustan Times and Mid-Day; which sell advertisements in package-deals along with their sister publications and brands (including television channels, radio stations and film award shows) across the media spectrum, will also survive. As for me focusing on online media, it has been the case from almost a decade now. I like to change with the times, as I have seen many PRs perish because they could not change. I am the longest surviving publicist in the film industry in India. And I intend to keep things that way (winks). So I have to always keep ahead of time and change and evolve. I have to always beat the current lot of PRs at their game if I want to keep being a leader of things. That’s how it’s always been, and that’s how I intend to keep it. (smiles)
From managing PR of debutantes to superstars, what has been the most cherished moment?
Dale: I have often stated that my PR clients are like my children. And just as a mother loves all her children equally, I love to work for my PR clients with equally devoted energies and passion. All have been interesting and challenging; otherwise they wouldn’t have been my clients in the first place. However, there are certain projects and personal PR assignments that have interested me more. Handling the work for names such as Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra has been a pleasure. Whereas handling the media publicity and hype for more controversial brands such as Shilpa Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Rakhi Sawant, Swami Nithyananda and Global Advertisers (the patrons of Radhe Maa) has been more challenging at times. One of my current clients is makeup and prosthetics designer Preetisheel Singh. Handling her work is also very interesting as it is quite different from my regular assignments which involve actors and movies. Doing PR for movies like Don and Rock On!! too have been good fun.
Bollywood PR guru Dale Bhagwagar addressing a press conference in Mumbai
What are the things that you would like to see among the new generation of PRs?
Dale: Integrity is the number one thing that seems to be missing in the current lot of PRs. That is one very important reason for loss of trust. Second is street-smartness, which every PR needs to possess — that quality of being sharp and scheming to the extent of being manipulative with the media. Ha ha. Ya, it is important for a PR to be a manipulator. Because that is the job. One has to know how to strategize, play, plot, plug and plant news in the media. The better the manipulator, the better the PR. Another thing that Gen Next needs to keep in mind is media ethics. Manipulative PRs need to also have a lot of PR ethics. They need to know and understand where to draw the line. They need to be pro’s at doing a balancing act between ethics (a demand of the times) and exaggeration (a demand of the spice and sensationalism-hungry media). Otherwise they can end up influencing society in a bad way. See, PRs have the advantage of being able to reach the public at large through the voice of celebrity clients. So if they misguide their clients or misuse their clout, it can spell mayhem from the cultural point of view. Thus PRs need to be deep-rooted in media ethics even while they plot and plan to promote their clients using national and international media platforms at their disposal.
How important is social media for celebrities and PRs?
Dale: This is a very good question. Especially because many celebrities tend to focus too much on Social Media. So much so, that they often sideline mainstream media. Social Media is a pillar of the media; a means of support. However, it is NOT the main media. The real media is Online Media (websites), Television Media, Print Media, Radio Media. These have more credibility; as before a news is carried on these places, it is written by a trained and experienced writer/reporter; goes through checks of a sub-editor, news editor, deputy editor or the executive editor, before it is finally published. So that news will definitely carry much more credibility compared to self-published and self-generated news on Social Media. Plus, when one is featured on websites, the news gets archived and is searchable for all time. This archive-value of the news, along with some good Google Search Engine Optimization (SEO), can help a celebrity much more in the long run, as it provides more consistency and value than a post or picture which will be lost on Social Media within a day, unless it goes viral. And as we know, just one out of thousands and thousands of posts have the potential to go viral. So the chances of getting noticed on social media is miniscule, compared to building a strong image through website articles and write-ups. News on websites last longer and can have a consistency to it, which can’t be found on Social Media. To sum it up, Social Media is fantastic, but it has to be used as an add-on to actual mainstream media.
Do you use social media to reach and impress traditional media?
Dale: Yes, I do. But I feel Social Media becomes unsocial at times and is gradually losing credibility. When it began, it gave a voice to millions. But many started to misuse it and abuse it. Twitterati is well-known for being rude and abusive to people… resulting in a lot of celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan complaining about the negativity on it. Actor-singer Sonu Nigam got so disgusted with it that he ultimately quit the platform. These things say a lot about changing trends. Moreover, the recent Cambridge Analytica data-breach scandal has everyone worried about Facebook privacy and stability. Whereas Social Media could have brilliantly focused on citizen journalism, and even educating along with informing. But it went on to create the demon of ‘fake news’ in many instances. Even the concept of ‘Paid News’ and ‘Paid Media’ which has been the domain of Print Media until now, is creeping into online media, including Social Media. One is asked for monies to improve the visibility and boost posts. If one can pay and be famous, then the people with monies will be the ones to be. What about the deserving? What about the ones with creativity? These money-making tactics have marred Social Media’s credibility as a platform for information dissemination. However, it still remains a very strong segment. And I feel that with time, it has an enormous potential to refine, redefine and mature.
What fascinates you most about PR work?
Dale: Like journalism, public relations is one of the few professions where there is constant activity. News happens 24×7 and one has to always be on toes. Moreover, muck also happens 24×7 and people need crisis management via PRs all the time. This is a very interesting part of the profession, as there is never a lull. One is always in the thick of things. I feel like a ringmaster of the grand media circus. No day is ever boring.
What makes you happy in your professional life?
Dale: The choice to live life the way I want to live it.
Who has been your favourite client and why?
Dale: Now! Now! Are you trying to put me into trouble by having me to take just one name here? Ha ha! But seriously, if I were to answer that question honestly, it might sound narcissistic. But the fact is that I, myself have been my most favourite client. Yes, I treat myself as a client — a brand — a PR brand who can be relied upon, trusted; one who delivers and who is consistent with growth. In my eyes, there is no further satisfaction to know that your work helps others grow and be famous. That you are able to propel people into the limelight and strengthen their image and brand by influencing the media. That you have the means to make their careers better. That’s what gives me the ultimate high.
Wake up my fellow Bollywood PRs. And do it like Dale does. 😉
1 Press Release / 24 hours / 40 links for my PR client Preetisheel Singh. Covering leading outlets The Times of India (and no, Dale never does Paid News. NEVER), Mid-Day, Times Now, Zoom, Santa Banta, Koi Moi, Yahoo, Bollywood Dhamaka, Bollywood Hungama and The Quint. And this without the help of UNI, PTI, IANS or Reuters.
I feel, Bigg Boss gets the highest billing among reality shows not because Salman Khan hosts it. It gets top billing because it has been customised to bring out the best and worst of human emotions. Because it plays on fear and love… more importantly, on fear… which is a stronger emotion than love.
Sumita Chakraborty, the editor of Stardust India has given an interesting, informative and insightful interview to Hamant Verma of BizAsia. She aptly describes how PR has taken control over perception-building in entertainment journalism. She also mentions how “hiring the right publicists and agents” can be one of the important aspects for British Asian actors “to build a successful career in Bollywood”. She talks about Upen Patel, whom I handled PR for when he entered Bollywood… and also Katrina Kaif, whose debut film Boom was publicized by me. All in all, Sumita’s interview is a fantabulous read.
Bollywood PR guru Dale Bhagwagar addressing a press conference in Mumbai
