Arnab Goswami - The Shining Knight of the Night - Part 2

Continuing from Part 1 , 

We have heard the Christians telling us that it is said in The Bible that Jesus walked on water. Also, similar events were created by illusionists to prove their point that they are the greatest magicians in the world until a vexed counterpart exposed the trick. But, a certain person whose name starts with 'B' and ends with 'T' would be "walking on air" ergo defying the physics of gravity as promulgated by Newton and giving the walking-on-water illusionists a run for their money. So, who is this mysterious personality? If you don't wish to find out, you may skip to the 3rd paragraph. The choice is yours.

As the irrational and stupid terrorists buggers are causing unnecessary skirmishes at the borders with our Indian Army using fire, Arnab Goswami dropped a bombshell that he is resigning from the Times Now which engendered a tremendous temblor and vibrating flutter amongst the Indian Media Fraternity. The happiest person in the world, when the announcement of his statement which broke out a couple of days back, would have been the same person whom I referred earlier in the previous para. Arnab's contemporary in NDTV.  

As a kid, I used to watch 'We the People' that was aired on Sundays. I don't even know whether it's being done now as I had severed ties with NDTV post the Radiagate in 2010/11 and shifted my allegiance to Times Now after evaluating the other media weren't catering upto my expectations. But, as long as I used to devour the talk show, it was just for Barkha for the way she used to take the arguments and discussions to its logical conclusion. From the many comments that I have been reading lately and in the recent past on her, it is extremely evident that she has grossly misplaced her priorities especially on matters of national security. Will she change?  I don't know. But, a small hope in me says that she should because of all the wonderful memories that she had created for me in my childhood days.

Whenever I had free time after my long and tiring work hours, I used to see Arnab Goswami's The Newshour on specific topics of my interest ever since 2011 especially the famous RaGa interview. I was bursting out with immense laughter and wondered how Arnab Goswami remained to be so unflustered without even twitching a muscle during the entire course of the interview. Then, it hit me that he might have had hysterically ROFLed privately.

With time on my hands currently, I am able to scrutinize him further now beyond the peripherals. There is no doubt that ever since Arnab's journey began with The Newshour that he has always been rude and rambunctious. He is ruthlessly aggressive. He is rough and tough. He is highly opinionated. However, his questions are precise, pointed, incisive and penetrative when he makes his scathing attacks on his panelists. 

But, Arnab Goswami viciously confronts only the person's stand and not the person themselves. There is a thin line that separates between the two which people momentarily confuse, get offended because of the heat of the moment and leave his shows. Some might say he does it for the TVTs. Others may opine he does it for sensational dramaticism to get more eyeballs and impressions. However, Arnab Goswami really wears his heart on his sleeve, okay Suit!, making his point crystal clear than hide behind the veil of neutral stand. He doesn't pussyfoot around important topics of national interest.

                                              I saw it LIVE. It was a goosebumps moment..!

No one can ever question that the show is rigged and the panel is under his thumb. 

Arnab Goswami has his heart in the right place. Why else would he receive terror calls and be given Y-security? He is doing something right which is why certain fringe elements are irked by his questioning in his programme thus questioning his security cover. He had made an extremely positive impact in The Newshour that lead to Manoj Nayaks arrest during the hospital fire in Odisha. One just case to prove that he has his heart set in transformational journalism and not nickel and dime PR stunts.

Like a cheetah chasing its prey, the despisers of Arnab will throw daggers at me by asking how I know that Arnab Goswami is really the person he is on TV and not doing/saying things for garnering public support which has resulted in Times Now having an unparalleled edge over its competitors.

The answer is very simple. I have no idea as I haven't interacted with him on a personal level and all that I know about him is only through my observations in the 2 hours vociferous and heated debates. 

However, we must remember that Times Now is a business venture and exists for making profits by selling the product called news. So, even IF he does things to generate revenue for Times Now with his antics during the vehement polemics, he is still a better person than his peers when it comes to presenting his own unvarnished truths on sensitive issues in the right manner.

But, one thing is certain. From a Marketing perspective, The Newshour is a solid diamond mine for any brand to be associated with to reach out to potential millions of consumers swiftly and effortlessly. Times Now can dictate their own diktats and drive a hard bargain with the advertisers due to the phenomenal success of Arnab Goswami's intense and passionate display of tough aggression by verbally assassinating the participants when they either circumlocute or beat around the bush or dodge or keep mum to his questions.

                                        

Few of you might ask me as to what I may get after writing this blog now:

Yeah. Right. Arnab Goswami will take his time to read a virtually stranger's blog and appoint me to the currently vacant Editor-in-Chief of Times Now..! (If you don't get the sarcasm, I am not responsible!)

People do only those things for which they care about. Be it in your vocation or avocation. After having watched him for more than 6 years, from my standpoint, I felt that Arnab has sculptured and chiselled a unique position for himself by his unabashed opinions as he has clearly understood that the right perception creation is the need of the hour to make an intended positive change in our country which is deeply entrenched with cynicism and misguided views.

The Newshour already bore the brunt last week when the numbers of their twitter handle plummeted because of his absence. It was not that the replacement news anchors were not good but it is solely due to the fact that Arnab's brief hiatus generated such a relatively poor viewership. God only knows what will be the actual effect when he no longer does The Newshour. 

So, I decided to put forth my views as it was the apt time to a deserved person who is sundered and shredded to pieces by some section of the media just like how our PM is blasted to smithereens for everything and anything that happens in the country. We live in a democracy. Everyone has got their own way of thinking. But, whether that mode of mind operation is right or wrong?  That's what the Nation wants to know!

                                                                  X--Concluded--X

Arnab Goswami - The Shining Knight of the Night - Part 1

Noise - Ah! The dreaded 5 letter word which causes many to lose over their sleep and have their sweet dreams polluted to produce a jarring effect on their forty winks. I am sure most of you would have experienced the adverse effects of a blaring loudspeaker - either during an election rally or during the Aadi season. The disconcerting uneasiness. The High BP. The persistent annoyance. You tend to be highly strung and extremely uptight unless and until the much needed silence engulfs your immediate surrounding thus ensuring that you don't go bonkers but be within the reasonable bounds of sanity as soon as the calm lull descends upon us.

I really don't have to say anything more as to why I had given such an introduction with Arnab Goswami as my title. Some perceive his tryst with The Newshour as an unruly fish market. Others view his programme as a cacophonous amalgam of disharmony and pandemonium. I have heard certain people saying 'Barking dogs seldom bite' and 'Empty vessels make more noise'. But, how I personally see him is - 'Still waters run deep'. With Arnab Goswami, the 'Still waters' in the adage has to be loudly replaced with 'Thundering Waterfalls'.

The problem with the majority of the people in our country is they are so used to seeing the corrupt bureaucrats at various trophic levels and manipulative media that they are clearly unable to discriminate the good egg and bad egg despite the hardened evidence showing contrary that some people aver and champion for their causes and plights. When anyone does the right thing, the immediate reaction for many would be to hold a flag or enact a dharna to oppose them so that these flagbearers can occlude and obviate their adversaries from supporting or ameliorating the causes that actually touches the lives of the people and has a direct impact in our day to day life.

This is what is actually happening with Modi ji and Arnab Goswami who wants to bring about a positive change in our country. But, when one cannot reach the stature of certain individuals, what people with cheap mentality does is that they pull down them to their distastefully abysmal level and trample all over them as it is the easiest thing in the world to accomplish for such pitiable souls.

In fact, if a person can remove their tainted glasses and view the world as such, they can find significant similarities between our PM and Arnab Goswami. Both have faced severe criticisms for their proper style of handling things when it comes to addressing the concerns of the people. Likewise, the pair has got the dubious distinction to have many a meme created against their names by people who cannot be like them. Modi ji bats for Achhe din and Arnab Goswami is Achhe DIN..!

                                                         

                                                           X---to be concluded---X

M.S.Dhoni - The Untold Story: The Helicopter soarrsssssssssssssssss.. :)

 As soon as the World Cup was handed over to Dhoni, my friend and I started to shout at the top of our voices with tears streaming down our eyes like the Angel Waterfalls which is acclaimed as the highest uninterrupted waterfalls in the world. Flashes of the wonderful memories hit me like Roman Reign's Spear! And when Sushanth walked down the stairs, it was as if Dhoni had somehow magically materialized on the big screen to relive the 2011 WC finals once again. Such was the extent of attention to detail he had given to his role that it seemed like the complete consciousness of Dhoni was transferred to Sushanth through advanced medical technology and surgery!

Be it in his attitude, smile, deportment and mien, Sushanth has literally lived as Mahi. It really showed his meticulous commitment and dedication to shoulder the heavy burden as the Captain of Indian Team who is not only an excellent finisher but also an inspiring figure to many people. Born and brought up in Ranchi, the man rose to the highest level of the politics infested Indian Team in a very short period of time courtesy his admirable confidence, astute cricket acumen and his exceptional performances with his willow. And the movie exactly covered his arduous journey from being an aspiring goal-key to be one of the world's respected and renowned cricketer thanks to his school coach.

The first half sped away like a F1 car. Before you know, it was pitstops! And the time was ahead by an hour and half! Not even a single dull moment which captured his early life from his humble origins. Anupam Kher and Bhumika played their respective parts as a caring father who wants a safe and secure career for his son and a loving sis who supports his ambition and gives wings to his dreams. But, it was Disha Patani who stole the thunder from them as Mahi's girlfriend. Despite the fact that she had very limited screen time, her effervescent persona really made an impact not only on the audience but also on our Captain Cool's life.

Unfortunately, it was the romance sequences which also pulled down the accelerating speed of the movie in the second half. MSD - The Untold Story could have also shown the other real facts like his controversies with Lakshmi Rai, spat with Yuvi and Gauti and the IPL spot fixing scandal though his name was cleared. All these would have shown that MSD is as normal and a vulnerable person as anyone else. People may have connected with him better despite the fact the he is one of the highly successful people who had come from an ordinary middle class family whose normal mentality is to have a decent job, government means better!, thus stifling their children's passion and yearning to follow their instinctive desire for their earning.  It happens with most of the kids in India.Why even our MSD was not spared by the system!

MSD - The Untold Story did not consecrate Mahi as a Saint! Other than that the director has given the most positive side of Dhoni which will definitely fire the enthusiasm of the younger generation to take bold and daring risks in their lives to create their lives as colorful as the rainbow. 

Likewise, the director should have recommended the theatres to hand out the tissues prior to the movie's commencement. As there were loud cheers when MSD wore the yellow jersey, my lachrymose was very evident and unrestrained due to happiness when the ball was once again thwacked into the crowds with the typical MSD signature shot.

Annalakshmi - A Sumptuous Querencia that leaves you to come again and again

Annalakshmi had always been on my radar ever since one of my colleague in TCS told me that it is a great place for vegetarians. I was always on the lookout for an ideal opportunity to check out the restaurant given the rave reviews that I had read in Zomato and from what my friends had said. As luck would have turned out, the felicitous moment presented itself sooner than expected. 

My friend and I met here on a pleasant Sunday afternoon to satiate our wolfish hunger. Little did we know what was in store, sorry restaurant!, for us despite the buffet being cancelled for the day.

The restaurant was jam-packed like the peak hour traffic through the arterial roads. It was a good thing that we reserved our seats prior to our arrival. A small suggestion is that everyone get their chairs booked if you plan to visit Annalakshmi during the weekends. Having confirmed our names at the reception, we were ushered into the 130 pm slot for which our engagement with their tasty food was destined.

The moment you walk through the gates, you are welcomed and awe-struck by the majestic Annapoorneshwari idol. The opulence of the ambience is such that you reel under the magnificence of Annalakshmi's decor.  The serene carnatic music gives the precise nonpareil backdrop that complements the echt and palatial setting of their interiors. It was then high time for us to take our seats.

Like the ambit of our discussions which ranged from politics to movies to serials to history to business ideas, Annalakshmi served us with a perfect blend of authentic and a stellar victual that is sure to linger in your minds and be made unforgettable for a while. The menu started with the vegetable clear soup served with the right amount of salt and pepper that you don't even have to search for the salt and pepper shakers.

It was then followed by the crispy cutlets as appetizer along with the crunchy vathals kept in the basket. Once when the finger foods were cleared away by the extremely polite, pleasant and cordial order-takers, the main meal began with a moreish dosai, one of a kind paruppu usili sevai and buttery paratha with nourishing salad, spicy potato fry, paneer butter masala, ladies finger chips and chutneys as sides.

Treading closely on its heels were the delicious pulao, standard white rice with rasam and vetha kuzhambu. We were already full by then when our attendant informed us that curd rice was also there on the menu. After taking a small, quick break, the ambrosia of Iyers was spooned out with 4 types of piquant pickles.

If you think it was over, it was not. The delectable desserts were then brought in - carrot halwa, a single scoop vanilla and Paal Payasam. A special mention to the Paal Payasam as people would normally prepare it as either too saccharine or less sugary. It was divine with the optimum level of sweetness just like how it used to be prepared in my home.

Now, you will wonder whether the cost would be on a higher side considering the rich surroundings and more-than-filling menu. Actually, even I felt that Rs. 700 was a tad too expensive when I saw the price before ordering the thali. But, at the end of the meal, the wholesome experience provided by Annalakshmi is worth every rupee spent on this terrific lunch. 

One Indian Girl - Let her be the ONLY one..!

The 3 Mistakes of my Life:

1. Having read 'Five Point Someone' and thinking that his subsequent works would be as good as FPS.

2. Anyone can have a rough day. The next novel will be better.

3. Will it ever be? Only time, money and effort waste.

Prior to the launch of One Indian Girl, CB had said that this novel was going to be a take on feminism and that he had done extensive interviews to get the character's perspective right. He had also said that he has gone one step further by saying that he has got himself waxed to feel the pain of women. It gave me a sliver of hope that OIG might be different from his previous works and that impelled me to pre-order the book through Amazon. I am not sure whether he felt the pain or not but after reading this piece of futility, he certainly waxed my heart to the extent that my lub-dub was screaming 'Can it get any worser than this'?

CB has always been a bad writer. He has himself acknowledged it publicly and defended that his style of writing is for the 'mass market'. And it is true. It was his simple, easy and relatable kind of portrayal in FPS that made me to expect and await eagerly for the new arrivals as his demotic way of putting things was completely refreshing from his contemporaries. In other words, his enchorial and non-literary way of sketching out the details in his books is, sorry was, his USP. It's been more than a decade since his first novel hit the shelf and people would have expected that he might have honed up his writing skills. Unfortunately, his standard has been deteriorating gradually to the point that it's utterly pointless to even bring up the topic. 

Being an IIT-IIM graduate and having worked in the reputed Goldman Sachs as an Investment Banker, it is a natural corollary that CB would have his own views on feminism. Sadly, that was not the case to be. Other than Amazon's razor prompt delivery, OIG is a trashy take on feminism solely intended only to be made into a tacky Bollywood movie by selling his rights to the highest bidder. CB has shamelessly flipped the definition of Feminism from Wikipedia instead of giving his own touch to the heavy term. The most regrettable and unforgivable part was that he did not even acknowledge that he had lifted it. As I was reading the book, I had an inkling that the definition may have been copied from some web site because of the usage of the words which was completely at odds with CB's style. Never in my wildest of the wildest imaginations I knew that it would be an exact copy (Nice oxymoron, na?) from Wiki.

The synopsis of the book can be summarised as Radhika slept with many people during her career and is full of insecurities about her own identity which she wanted to play it down by being independent and successful in her vocation. On the day of her wedding, is she going to marry one of those men or the one to whom she is betrothed?

CB has written the sex scenes more elaborately than focussing on the feminism aspect which is reduced to a mere two line dialogue at the fag end of the book. No one is saying that OIG should have been edifying or uplifting. But, it shouldn't have been so demoralizing to the already self-conscious girls in our country who may take a bad example in Radhika. If CB hadn't said OIG is centered around feminism, then it would have been just another of his previous work - Open. Read. Close. Forget. But, it is that he had given so much trumpet calls before the launch of the book that it seems now that everything is a marketing gimmick. 

It is extremely difficult to forge an impactful story with such a reality as Feminism. But, it is definitely not impossible. If CB says that it cannot be done, then he should really watch movies like 'English Vinglish' or '36 Vayathinile' where the protagonist defies all odds, becomes successful and gains the respect of everyone with liberal doses of pristine comedy. In this case, OIG is nothing but a raunchy, decadent and provides a facade of entertainment on the veneer of feminism.

Demystifying Rajini's Mojo through the Branding Microscope - Part 2

What is a need? According to Philip Kotler who is widely touted as the Father of Modern Marketing, a need is a state of felt deprivation. I shall lighten this heavy and conundrum definition in very simple and lucid terms - Hunger, thirst, breathing, food, shelter etc without which our survival comes into question are examples for need. Why did I bring in this random topic when we are discussing about Rajinikanth here? There should be a method to my madness, right? You guessed it correct. There is. As Rajini will say:

For the Superstar that he is, Rajinikanth hardly gives his appearances in public - be it the innumerable awards' function that is hosted by different channels in various parts of the globe or any other social event - You can see almost every hero and heroine in the industry flaunting their dresses and sashaying into the arena other than Thalaivar. Likewise, when even his contemporary Kamal Hassan is seen on TV endorsing Pothys, Rajinikanth is no where in the picture when it comes to advertisements ever since he entered the cinema industry sans an one and only cola ad.

                                                         Rajini - the Unseen!

What it really means in marketing terms is that the only recognizable window of opportunity for every die hard fan to savor his majestic presence is only through his movies which gets released either annually or biennially depending upon the film's director and Rajini's health condition. People might think that I am exaggerating a bit but having devoured his films and seeing the humongous frenetic activity that always takes place whenever his movies get released, Rajinikanth is not simply a person. Rather a very strong and powerful emotion that automatically triggers a smile on your face when you see him even if it is an animation.

                                                 The Swashbuckling Castrol Ad

That's what every great brands does. Brands do not sell products. They sell stories. Emotions. Something everyone can deeply relate to, unfathomably connect with and proudly share it to their relatives and friends. With Rajnikanth, the brand and the product are one and the same. In fact, the excitement and euphoric levels are such that any Rajini film is a festival like Diwali or Navratri than merely just another movie hitting the screens.  

Most of the marketers are of the opinion that needs cannot be created. 100 % true but they forgot one essential fact that Rajinikanth exists! Thalaivar CREATES the much-needed NEED to his most devoted and fanatic devotees for whom he is like the Oxygen sustaining their lives! To put it in more relatable terms, Rajinikanth is like what the brand APPLE means to Macmaniacs - the only difference is that with Superstar, the emotional quotient associated with this brand is magnified 1000 times more. I am neither overstating nor hyperbolizing here. There are plenty of people who will actually give their lives for Rajinikanth if such a situation demands and necessitates them to do so. However, the magnanimous nature of the man is such that he does not use, misuse or abuse his ardent fans to fulfill his self-interests.

The ultimate victory of a Brand is the way it can encompass and all embrace its barrage of patronages who flows like the gigantic Ganges into the Bay of Bengal! With enough blood,sweat and tears over his 4 decade long illustrious career, the Brand Rajini has cultivated a thumping great and extremely loyal customer base that has resulted in an unshakeable and long-standing Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) that spans over generations - From grandfather/grandmother to dad/mom and their children and their children who are willing to burn holes in their pockets to watch the FDFS at staggering prices. That is the rousing Brand Equity of Rajinikanth which sends everyone to go out of their minds and be in a frenzied state of delight till they update their FB and Whatsapp statuses!  

Take for instance - The movie Kabali. The permitted price in Tamil Nadu is capped @ Rs. 120 by the government. But, even the not-so sought after theatres were making a hefty profit by selling the tickets at 400 % their base cost. Elsewhere, tickets for Kabali were sold at Rs 500 and Rs 1000 for a normal Rs 50 and Rs 100 ticket. This is Price Skimming strategy at its zenith which will make even Apple to rethink their pricing strategy whose production costs hover around $250 yet charge $750 for their current version of iPhone range of products, thus having a profit of 200% or 3 times.

APPLE's supposed reaction 

Likewise, every marketer will unanimously say that Segmentation-Targeting-Positioning (STP) forms the cornerstone when you launch a product and without a proper evaluation of your target audience, the product will meet its death even before its introduction in the market. In Kollywood, Kamal Hassan caters to class A audience, Vijay to B & C and the list can go on. What is important to understand is that every actor has a particular target audience in mind when they make films to suit and satisfy the expectations of their fans. Thalaivar, in his very own style, breaks down all the class barriers by appealing to masses and classes alike. To just give a sample example, when Lingaa was released and despite the movie did not do well, my big mouth casually asked how the Lingaa ticket sales was to one of the employees @ the then Luxe Cinemas, Chennai. The response I got made my head spin like a Shane Warne's delivery on a 5th day wicket! He coolly replied that one single family booked a complete screen for their entire family members to see Thalaivar in Action! Rajinikanth need not break rules. All the rules break by themselves in front of this man!

If there is something that eludes and might haunt Rajinikanth is a National Award. It's not that he cannot act. But, the way he has positioned himself is such that it is difficult for him to showcase his repertoire of acting skills concealed in his arsenal. In fact, when I was watching "Jigarthanda" in theatre, my mind voice was literally screaming "Aiyoo Aiyoo Aiyoo. Assault Sethu's role should have been given to Thalaivar instead of Bobby Simha".  Bobby Simha got National Award for the role. So, he couldn't have been bad. But, had Rajinikanth portrayed this particular role, he would have taken villainism to all new heights that it would have been next to impossible for any Pole Vault Jock to surpass the bar! Assault Sethu's role was right up Rajini's alley for which he could have easily won 2 National Awards!  Still the slippery National Award is out of his reach and as a fan, I would love to see him don a character role without missing out any of the indispensable Rajini-esque characteristics and walk away nonchalantly with the Best Actor - National Award.

To sum it up, Rajinikanth has carved a niche for himself in the film industry. He is the undisputed Emperor of Entertainment. Everest of Simplicity. Antarctica of Coolness and Godzilla of Marana Mass. There will definitely come a time in future when this star runs out of his Helium and meets his final end. But, he will always be the one and only SUPERSTAR who shines brightly and warms our hearts till eternity.

                                                                    

                                                            X---Concluded---X

PS 1:
There are so much to his dimensions that I couldn't curtail any part. Thank you all for patiently reading the lonnnggggggggggggggggggg blog on our Thalaivar.... :) :)

PS 2:
Any error is the result of my negligence for not doing the due diligence properly on my opinions and facts.

Acknowledgements:
Would like to thank the meme creators and the images that were publicly available on the net that might have provided a welcome relief to you while reading such a lengthy blog. 

Demystifying Rajini's Mojo through the Branding Microscope - Part 1

A condescending and poisonously smiling Neelambari gives her air of superiority to Padayappa when she descends the stairs. The frame shows her high heels in slow motion as she walks down the steps one by one after seeing the greyed Rajinikanth in an akimbo gesture. The haunting BGM by ARR builds up the tension and makes you to think that something extraordinary is on the horizon. Neelambari gives Rajinikanth a quick derisive look when she swiftly scans him from head to foot and humiliates him further by having a chair exclusively for her with the loud snap of a finger. 

The vibrant 'o' chorus antes up the climax of the scene additionally when Ramyakrishnan returns Padayappa the taste of his own medicine after a gap of 18 years. What follows next is not just any scene but something which is truly remarkable and indescribable that only our Thalaivar can do it dovetailed effortlessly with an electrifying, pulsating and goosebumps producing back score by the musical maven:

                          Kindly Fast forward to 1:42 and enjoy yourself till the end.. :) 

I am sure you would have watched not only this breath-taking and legendary scene but also the entire movie umpteen number of times. Still, when you see it even now, you wouldn't be tired of it. Rather, you would think that it's time want to watch it one more time than to read this stupid blog! Yeah. I can see a small smile on your face that extends from your sides. Getting back to business, we will try to deconstruct this man's mystique (What is it with my alliterations these days!) using hi-fi Branding and Marketing jargons. Just kidding!

So, why did I bring in this swashbuckling scene as an introduction to this blog? Simple. Every Rajini movie has a dashing introduction na. 

What is a Brand? A name,term,sign, symbol etc. which uniquely identifies a product or service that sets it apart from their competitors. 

This is a perfect text book definition and the person (Read: Me!!) should be awarded an A++ (Sorry, no reference to C++ here!). Please bury my pathetic joke in the grave with a wreath! 

Just like how James Cameron reached the abyss of Mariana Trench, when we dive deep into a brand's knows and hows, a brand is simply ,in my IMHO, a simple idea. I am sure many would not agree with my view. Each to his own, right? So, let's us work together in harmony now and plunge further.

I am not going to touch upon the history of Rajinikanth where he lost his mother as a kid, worked as a coolie, bus conductor blah blah. You know it already. We will cover the other essential aspects as to what makes him such a tremendous universal phenomenon in this time and age as well. 

Everyone knows that it was K.Balachander who identified Shivaji Rao Gaekwad's raw talent at the Madras Film Institute and pushed him onto the silver screen. So, Rajinikanth is the brainchild, literally and figuratively, of the late ace director. 

What does it mean in real branding terms? Rajinikanth is AN IDEA from the brain factory who had single-handedly transformed the virtually unknown Shivaji Rao Gaekwad as the formidable and famed Rajinikanth. Little did KB Sir knew when he rechristened him as Rajinikanth then that he would unleash a powerful brand who will change the complete ecosystem of Kollywood and propel Rajinikanth to an invincible, indomitable and impassioned stardom beyond the realms of reason, reality and sanity.

In fact, his shades in Baasha was copied in The Matrix. Do not believe me? Check out Morpheus's coolers.

Rajinikanth broke the conventional stereotype that a hero must be light-skinned. It may not be of great consequence today. But, in those days, though it was not a FAIR deal, being fair was a big deal  ..! He looked like our typical next door neighbour - tall and dark - and his appearance had an immediate connect with the masses.

Even a newborn child will say that the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of Superstar is his style - be it in his gait, speech, actions, emotions and his uncanny ability to flick his hair with so much oomph.

Rajinikanth would be the object of envy of every Olympic Gymnast for the way his cigarette somersaults and lands in his mouth with such artistic grace and poise - the man simply oozes with such unheard panache even now that he still gives his young peers a run for their money.

Not to mention his lusty staccato laughter. He should really patent it! There is no one in the industry who could do it better than him even though the likes of Vijay has tried it in movies like Kaththi, Thuppaki etc, it still doesn't come close to the quick and sharp laughter which Thalaivar reserves when absolutely required like the Brahmastra! It's like the style factor is deeply entrenched in his DNA that his mannerisms appear naturally (Good Oxymoron, na!) on the screen. 

Going together with his humble origins and his extraordinary flair, Rajinikanth sparkles with enough pizzazz that he ensured that we were not only able to relate to him but also resonate well with him to the extent that he salubriously attracts even the current generation into his fold through his colossal magnetic appeal. His Brand Identity was expansively enlarged further when he was given the tag "Superstar" after his film 'Bairavi' in the late 1970s - a tagline which has become mononymous with the man himself and repeatedly confuse reputed astrophysicists when they hear 'SUPERSTAR'!

Turning a blind eye to my wicked poke of a joke, it's no mean task for any actor to be in an industry for close to 4 decades and deliver hit after hit with a once-in-a blue moon slip. Rajini has been able to do it continuously and consistently thus sustaining himself when it comes to his movie openings and box office records. Ticking all the right boxes of brand attributes - uniqueness, relevance, appeal, consistency, sustainability and positioning - Rajinikanth has created a redoutable Brand identity for himself with his uncommon  elan, supreme superstar tag, memorable and catchy punch dialogues like:

The image says it all..! :)

But, identity is just not enough. He has an indelible and adamantine Brand Image in the minds of audiences (Read: Us) thanks to his supreme Brand Personality. Everyone knows who Rajinikanth is when he stylishly enacts his given role to perfection. 

I have not personally met or spoken with the great man. But, from whatever I have heard, written and seen for the past 29 years, Rajinikanth is an extremely humble, down-to-earth, simple, warm, easy-going and friendly person who treats even the light boy on the sets with equal respect. A person of such stature and success - Rajinikanth is truly the epitome of humility courtesy his strong spiritual compass. 

En route to The Himalayas

Also, he doesn't hide his true self in those out-of-the blue opportunities when he is before camera in reality unlike other actors. He is assertive enough to flaunt his baldness, wrinkled skin, white beard and veshti thus giving a bold statement that he is also a human to all the classes and the masses alike  Being one of the highest paid actors in Asia, he could have easily gone under the knife and given himself a new identity. But, Thalaivar is thalaivar. That's why he is Thalaivar.

Our country always loves the dark horses, pun intended. The recurring trope of every Rajini movie is that he either fights his masters and becomes a master through hard work, dedication and commitment (In a 5 minute song!) or the evergreen good vs evil battle. As a natural consequence coupled with his own hardships in real life, Rajini's films are quite inspirational to the ordinary people who aspire to be like their God - at least physically - whenever Rajini brings in a new trend like the 'Motta Boss' which created a frenzied mania amongst many people:

Though his on-screen and off-screen personality are identically opposite (It's Oxymoron time again!) to each other, his mighty Brand Personality is such that it has resulted in an endearing and enduring relationship with his fans all over the world. 

Ultimately, the Brand Experience that Rajinikanth generates is such that you can feel a massive surge of positive emotion in your body like a bolt of lightning that it literally sends you in delirious raptures and makes you want for more of such hyper energy power from the Superstar. You feel as if you are on cloud nine and ecstatically escalate towards cloud ten, cloud eleven till cloud infinity! 

What more does a brand need when it already has and constantly creates (Alliterations again!) a solid and substantial loyal fan base crowding all over you like ants to sugar.

Rajini's energetic aura, his distinct mannerisms, effervescent charisma and larger than life persona has ensured that his Brand Image is utterly infrangible, untouchable and perdurable for all generations to love, cherish and admire his innocent smiles, timing comedies, THAT mesmerizing WALK and the improbable stunts that would make even Newton to scratch his head and come up with a special equation explaining the gravity-defying phenomenon from heavens!

                                       

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. Yeah, You can try it if you wish to. 

However, there is nothing Rajnikanth can't can't.

No. It is definitely not a cant.

                                                              X--to be concluded--X

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank my Brand Management Professor, Satheesh Krishnamurthy. He is a Brand Consultant and worked in corporates like Cavinkare, McCann Erickson, Cricinfo, Reliance etc.

Apart from possessing a scintillating and rapier wit, he has also penned down his extensive experience, immense knowledge, profound and penetrating insights into numerous books in Tamil for the benefit of SMBs to build their own brands and flourish in the cut-throat marketplace.

He is also a regular contributor in The Hindu (Tamil Edition) and all his articles are fun, funny yet deeply thought-provoking.

For further details. you can check out for yourself his Linkedin profile at your own leisure:

The One and only

Disclaimer:

All the above opinions are solely mine with the exceptions of the facts and application of the various branding concepts. Any error or discrepancy is due to my mistake and lack of proper understanding on the subject at hand. I request you to point out any such fallacies in the event of such blunders. TIA!