Bollywood scripts new trends in 2018

2018 has been a remarkable year for Bollywood.

The year saw big budget movies that excited the audience, but at the same time there is also a quiet but seminal change taking place in the industry.

The era of small budget films without labels like ‘parallel cinema’ associated with them is finally here. This year saw movies like Stree and Badhaai Ho create an impact like any big budget blockbuster would deliver. Filmmakers took the brave step to focus on stories that broke new ground. As a result, 2018 saw unlikely films become superhits.

Star Gold understands this new ecosystem of Bollywood on TV—one where big budget blockbusters continue to break records, as well as the emergence of a new mainstream of content-led movies that attracts movie lovers in large numbers.

The screening of Stree, starring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, on December 2 on the channel was so well received that Star Gold has now become the number one Hindi movie channel in India.

Stree was the top-rated movie, even though this was its second airing on television. Next up for Star Gold is the world television premiere of the sleeper hit of the year, Badhaai Ho. The movie’s unconventional story has made it this year’s highest grossing movie. Viewers will now have a chance to watch it only on Star Gold on December 23 at 8 pm.

Since the formula of what makes a successful Bollywood film has changed, the marketing and promotions also have seen a shift. That explains Star Gold’s strategy in crafting truly unique and immersive experiences for movie lovers.

“Star Gold’s aim has always been to provide viewers with the latest and the biggest blockbusters month after month like no other channel or platform. By curating the best movies Bollywood has to offer and giving the audience an opportunity to get up close and personal with their favourite actors, we have now become the most watched channel in the genre,” says Hemal Jhaveri, general manager, Star Gold.  

Along with running announcements regarding telecast dates, we set out to bring fans and the stars closer to each other. Before Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se was telecast, we organised a sit-down dinner between Sunny and Bobby Deol and the film’s fans, making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them. The movie went on to be the top-rated film on television during Diwali week.

We went one step further with the promotions for Stree.

We organised a midnight walk in Girgaum, Mumbai, an area famed for its haunted locations. The #HuntForStree grisly tour was chronicled as a live event on Star Gold’s social media channels and received a tremendous response from the film’s fans. Stree’s lead actors, Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, were also present online during the hunt. In yet another unique engagement, the two actors also danced on the foot-tapping track ‘Milegi Milegi’ with fans, creating a magical moment before the film’s premiere on the channel.   

These promotions were in line with what we undertook for Sanju, which was again a film driven by its compelling content.  We encouraged viewers to watch the movie with their father—a nod to the father-son bond in the film—and send us pictures of the two of them watching the movie together. These photographs were instantly converted into sketches and shared back with the fans, making the experience of watching Sanju on Star Gold with their dad worth its weight in gold.

In a poignant moment, one of the sketches was of a woman who had shared the last picture she had clicked with her father before he passed away. She told us that the father-son connect of the movie and its promotion resonated with her, which compelled her to engage with the brand meaningfully.

“Understanding and anticipating what the movie-loving audience is looking for is what Star Gold has been getting right. That combined with the apt promotional strategy has made it the top Hindi movie channel in India,” adds Jhaveri.