MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • If the entire private sector in India took a united stand that they will not bribe, am certain a whole lot of corruption would get wiped out from this nation. The onus cannot only be on greedy netas and babus

    Anil Thakraney: Criminal corporate world

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Readers of this column will be aware that I am not a fan of the PM. And that’s because the old man’s a silent sufferer rather than a kickass doer. And the latter type is the need of the hour in today’s rapidly degenerating India. However, MMS seems to have found his voice at last, even though it’s too late in the day.

     

    He recently said that the anti-graft laws must include the private sector, and on this point I whole-heartedly support him. Whether this is the usual loose talk or whether it will actually happen is another story. Because this has been said before too, so it’s nothing new. However, two things are totally true. One, that post the economic boom, desi private sector CEOs sign cheques containing mind-blowing sums of figures, the financial muscle of India Inc is really, really strong today. And this makes it a minefield of corruption. Two, that there cannot be a demand chain in the world of bribery minus the supply chain. For every ghoos taker, there is a ready and willing ghoos giver, the seducer, and I am afraid the corporate world in India has been performing this role with much élan. Which is why crony capitalism has become rampant in this nation.

     

    While I am small fry and I am not from the corporate world, and while I have done many misdeeds in my life, I can tell you with a great deal of pride that I have not bribed a single government servant in the last two decades. And I have still survived, my work has still gone on. Extrapolate this to a larger scale, and one will discover this is possible to do for everyone else too. If the entire private sector in India took a united stand that they will not bribe, am certain a whole lot of corruption would get wiped out from this nation. The onus cannot only be on greedy netas and babus.

     

    So it’s all very well for social activists to hold andolans and target politicians and their sons-in-law. But nothing will change till the men in black get their integrity together. The prevention of corruption law must be redefined to ensure a long jail term for bribe-offering criminal suits.

     

    **

     

    PS: Here’s a cool way to make prospective employers get interested in reading your resume. And grant you an interview opportunity. Don’t know if this crazy method landed this dude a job with Google, but I would suggest you pull this stunt in India at your own peril. We folks sorely lack a sense of humour, and take life very seriously.

     

    Link: http://googlepleasehire.me/

     

  • There was much drama starting 3pm on Sunday when law minister Salman Khurshid addressed a press conference to defend his family trust, his wife and himself against allegations of misappropriation of funds

    Ranjona Banerji: Drama when the world was snoozing

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The most dramatic recent television event took place on a Sunday afternoon at 3pm when most except the most avid news junkies were likely enjoying a well-deserved afternoon snooze. Union law minister Salman Khurshid held a press conference to defend himself, his wife Louise Khurshid and his family trust, the Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust against allegations of misappropriation of government given funds to provide the handicapped with aids, prosthetics and equipment.

     

    The matter had blown into a scandal after a special investigation done by Aaj Tak and Headlines Today – both part of the TV Today group, the TV wing of Aroon Purie’s media empire – had shown discrepancies in camps there were supposed to be held in various districts of Uttar Pradesh and money received. The channels based their investigations on letters written by the UP government to the Central government.

     

    Former anti-corruption crusader and aspiring politician Arvind Kejriwal jumped into the fray with his own documents about wrongdoing by the law minister and demanded his resignation.

     

    Khurshid of course was very vociferous in his criticism of Kejriwal in the former income tax officer’s earlier avatar in the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement. His press conference was a fiery affair: the minister was sarcastic and often visibly angry and the journalists from TV Today were very aggressive. However, the minister did provide proof – photographs, witnesses, letters, audited accounts – that some of the charges at least were incorrect.

     

    The TV Today journalists were quick to jump on to the other allegations – forged signatures, fake affidavits – which the minister deflected by saying a probe was on. There was a lot of confusion over dates, which the average viewer could not always fathom in the ongoing ruckus.

     

    **

     

    There can be some questions raised about the TV Today probe however. Without a doubt, the reporters at the press conference were very angry that their work was being mocked at and their proof being countered. But an investigation of this nature needs to work on more than passion and zeal. It needs some hard, cold evidence and some considered sifting of allegation from fact.

     

    What seems evident from the outside is that the story has been fed by another NGO which also works with the physically handicapped and had filed an RTI application about the Khurshid trust’s camps. Kejriwal who has distanced himself from the TV Today story is basing his own campaign against Khurshid against the RTI answers.

     

    There is no problem with accepting a story from vested interests. But it is worthwhile to check and corroborate a rival’s allegations – in order for a media group to maintain its objectivity. Even if the Khurshids refused to respond, it is possible to check the facts with others involved.

     

    As matters stand today, there are loopholes in the TV Today investigation as well as in the Khurshuds’ defence. There are too many backtracking on their claims and too many leads which don’t seem to have been followed through. Some problem seems to exist in the UP government, which remains uncovered. Nor is there sufficient evidence that the Khurshids personally benefited from the Rs 68 lakh or 72 lakh grant which was given to them by the Central government through apparently fraudulent means.

     

    **

     

    Arnab Goswami held a special edition of the News Hour on Sunday night, with interviews with Salman Khurshid and Arvind Kejriwal followed by a discussion between Louise Khurshid, Mahesh Jethamalani and an India Against Corruption member to try and shine some light on the issues for the nation.

     

    However, although Goswami was in fine form in his search for clarity and asked all the right questions, the bottom of the matter remained murky.

     

    Headlines Today, which held some discussions on the news conference early in the evening, by the night was showing other set programmes.

     

    **

     

    Meanwhile it is unclear just who called this story a sting operation. Salman Khurshid said this was a sourced story – his wife used to be a journalist – and the TV Today journalists said that they had only recorded people.

     

    A media sting requires some entrapment of people who do not know that they are being recorded by journalists.

     

  • Digital is a dynamic world; here’s how an agency can milk it best

    The Anchor: 6 ways a digital agency can maximize profits

    By Saurabh Parmar


    #1 Value-addition. Most digital agencies are production focused – websites, banners, applications. For any agency see what you can give as a value to your client. If one can do that price for a client does not become an issue for they see something tangible. Thus, increasing profitability.


    #2 Focus on core competency and do not diverse too much. If you try to be a me-too agency and are focussing on larger chunk of business, your turnover may be higher but your profitability will always be lower. Pick out your core competency and focus on that rather than trying and doing everything under the sun.


    #3 Look at clients’ marketing issues rather than what you as an agency can deliver as digital product. Clients spend crores on marketing. We need to come out with digital solutions that can service the clients’ marketing challenge, rather than suggest properties & add to the clutter. If you can solve the challenges and issues, you will get more profits.


    #4 Analytics. Digital allows you to measure & measure a lot. Right from clicks, conversions to loyalty, recency and amplification. It’s a medium which can help you understand & optimize. Doing this gives the maximum profitability for a client & which in turn ensures maximum profitability for you.


    #5 Embracing web-based tools. In the current world a lot of the agency’s business processes can be outsourced & improved with tools right from finance, CRM, teleconferencing etc. Using off the shelf tools, in a lot of cases their paid versions, has decreased our costs & increased profitability.


    #6 Content. Creating content for new dynamic web is a great area to get into and is a high-value area. It is a high-growth and high-profit area that can be explored by the agencies.


    Saurabh Parmar is Founder & CEO of Brandlogist Communications

     

  • Salman Khurshid conducted himself so shabbily that as a viewer, one was left wondering if one had erroneously switched into the Bigg Boss mad house

    Anil Thakraney: Mr Khurshid, you screwed up!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Watching Mr and Mrs Salman Khurshid in action at a press conference on Sunday told me how little even an exalted minister is aware of how to hold a successful press meet. He was responding to accusations of forgery and corruption involving an NGO he heads. Recently, a corporate friend told me that some organizations hold workshops on how to deal with the media. This is a good idea, and our politicians must also organize such training programmes for themselves.

     

    Khurshid conducted himself so shabbily that as a viewer, one was left wondering if one had erroneously switched into the Bigg Boss mad house. Although I don’t participate in these gigs, here are some commonsense tips on how to hold a successful press meet. And how not to make a bungling fool of yourself, as Khurshid certainly did.

     

    One, never, never, never lose your cool, no matter how agitated you are in the head, no matter how serious the charges are. Demonstrating anger in a press conference shows you in a very poor light, the public opinion directly goes against you. Always be in control.

     

    Two, be coherent in your statements, do your homework before you arrive at the meet. You already know the type of questions that will come your way, therefore keep your answers ready and keep them pithy. If you fly off on a tangent (as Khurshid frequently did), it will confuse not just the journalists but the public who will eventually consume the event. And when that happens, the entire purpose of the conference is lost.

     

    Three, do not be rude with journalists, no matter how provocative the questions are, no matter how aggressive their body language is. Definitely no ‘You there, shut up!’ The moment you speak crassly at a press conference, you have already lost the battle. In Khurshid’s case, he has an axe to grind with the India Today group. But behaving politely with their reporters would have scored the man some easy brownie points.

     

    Four, never, never have an entourage of chamchas and groupies stand right behind you. This shows you are not confident, and are using your minions as a crutch. This enhances the perception of guilt. Stand in the line of fire all alone. Particularly so if the accusations are personally targeted at you.

     

    Five, and this is specific to Khurshid (therefore, dear militant feminists, please spare me the knives). Do not invite your missus to sit next to you at a press meet. Even if she happens to be the co-accused. Be a man and deal with the heat on your own. And I say this also because, if your partner happens to be an edgy and a restless soul (which Mrs Khurshid clearly is), she will mess up your show more than it already is.

     

     Anil Thakraney, Editor-at-Large,MxMIndia, is a senior journalist and commentator based in Mumbai. The views here are his own

  • Besides grammar and spelling, here are some other etiquette tips for writers

    The Anchor: 5 tips on how to make writing copy-editor-friendly, if there is such a thing

    By Vidya Heble

     

    #1 Making it bigger / bold / coloured doesn’t work if your writing is bad. In fact, if it is big, bold and/or coloured, editors may regard your writing with suspicion even if it is perfectly good. Just use a standard font – MS Word’s defaults are fine – and a decent size such as 12 points.

     

    #2 Look it up. Don’t use a word that you think sounds like the word you should actually be using. It could mean something else altogether.

     

    #3 If it’s a long word, ask whether it needs to be there. If it’s a long sentence, practise saying it. If it’s convoluted, shorten the words and the sentence because you’ve probably created a bhelpuri that doesn’t belong.

     

    #4 Don’t use sms speak in official communication, even if it is chat or, in fact, sms.  Good language is a good habit. Not only will it tell the recipient that you care about how you say what you say, it will also make disciplined communication second nature for you. Note that this does not apply when you are chatting with friends or making non-official posts on Facebook – here you’re free to do what you like.

     

    #5 Don’t forget the basics. If you’re writing a story, type your name at the top or the bottom of it, or put your name in the filename if possible. Yes, you sent it from your email address but the editors are likely to have more things on their plates than your masterpiece, so don’t make them go hunting down the origin of the story for the author’s name, when they get round to editing it. If you’re sending out a press release, check the file name. Don’t send out ‘(Company name) revised’, or ‘(CEO’s first name)’. Give it a short explanatory filename which includes the bare basics, such as ‘MxMIndia 1st Anniversary’ for instance.

     

    Vidya Heble is deputy editor at MxMIndia, and is thrilled when good copy comes her way.

     

  • When looking at a young audience, marketers can afford to make no assumptions. Samyak Chakrabarty explains why

    Young Track by Samyak Chakrabarty | 5 key things to consider when marketing to youth

    Samyak Chakrabarty

    What’s a 23-year-old writing a column on a site where the average age of columnists is… ? Ok, ok, we won’t reveal that number, but like it or not the youth constitute a majority of India’s population. Since the last few years, young Samyak Chakrabarty has been in and around media events and offices with his vision of how the youth can be targeted.

     

    In this period, he has organized a few conferences, participated in several of them in India and abroad, and works as Chief Youth Marketer with the DDB Mudra group. He’s organized a TedX youth conference in Mumbai, was invited to meet Hillary Clinton when she visited India and has co-authored a book ‘Generation Einstein 3.0 – India version’.

     

    Samyak’s column will appear on Wednesdays and as the title suggests, it will track the young – specifically keeping in mind the advertising, media and marketing fraternity – Ed

     

    This week, I would like to share five learnings I’ve had in my time so far as a youth marketer. While these are not scientifically proven facts, they are derived from my numerous interactions with college students at a very candid level (not survey sheets!).

     

    1 Youngsters don’t wake up thinking about brands:

    Large consumer brands often take it for granted that students already know about them and enjoy an automatic recall within that community. Often such arrogance is seen in the campaigns they conduct. But the truth is, brands are the least on the priority of the college-going crowd who have many more crucial things to worry about. The solution is not to therefore surround them with your brand and its aura at all touch-points all the time. In my opinion it would be prudent to ensure that the communication’s core message is so evocative and compelling that they are bound to not only remember it, but generate WOM even after the campaign expires.

     

    2 Youth is not a singular set:

    It is not sufficient to just aim at ‘targeting youth’ (this statement always irritates me in meetings!). Do bear in mind that youth behaviour is not uniform and hence a brand’s first goal should be to identify the ‘sub-set’ within the 15-35 age group which you want to target. As the next steps one has to develop a critical understanding of how those kind of youngsters think, breathe, talk, buy and dream. Often brands commit hara-kiri by assuming that being ‘cool’, ‘colourful’ and ‘celebrity-endorsed’ will appeal to all kinds of youngsters. It all depends on the product, price, persona and utility value.

     

    3 Product first, then packaging:

    Those born after 1990 have become more critical and conscious about what they buy. Therefore, the key factor which influences purchase is the product and not the brand’s communication. Hence, it is important that the brand manager as well as the product team work in sync and no silos to ensure that the two parallel functions deliver what each other promise to the young consumer, who will not think twice about shifting loyalty should he/she feel cheated. A classic example could be of a telecom brand – many students that I work with often complain that they are happy to move away from their existing provider just purely based on service issues, even though it means a more expensive plan or a less cool brand.

     

    4 Price does not always hit the G-Spot:

    One would often assume that for pocket money-dependent students, price would always work as a primary factor in deciding what to buy (applies for FMCG, Mobile Service Providers, daily utility gadgets and hangout places). In fact even I assumed so – but if one closely studies students from a metro city, price sometimes actually becomes a discouraging factor to buy if the aura around the product is more about its cheap price than about the qualities / aspiration value. I have noticed that many a time they tend to save up just to buy something more expensive because it is assumed to be better (nothing to do with reality!).

     

    5 The way your brand manager thinks, makes a huge difference:

    Often I see that some of the greatest brands often go through a period of disappointing communication only because their newly appointed manager (who may be extremely qualified and experienced) does not share the same thought process as the values embedded in the brand. This is more of a human resource function, but an extremely critical one – it amazes me how quickly a guy working for a sanitary pad brand can start to think for a cola! Many may hate me for saying this, but I believe that youth marketing too is not a uniform skill – one has to specialize and remain in that category to be able to successfully steer the brand in the right direction.

     

    Lastly, I think one should also start looking at adolescents today to be able to plan in advance as to how when they transform into young adults – your brand can already enjoy an automatic connect. In many ways, we have already lost those born after 1990 since preferences for essential products are already formed at a very young age.

     

  • How they watch, when they watch, and with whom – the answers about children's TV-viewing practices may come as a surprise, says Tabassum Modi

    The Anchor: 5 things you didn’t know about kids’ TV viewing habits

    By Tabassum Modi

     

    # 1 There’s not much difference between what children from metro and non-metro cities are watching on TV: One would assume that kids living in metro cities are over-exposed to television and would have choices different from their non-metro counterparts. But our recent survey showed that irrespective of their location, kids prefer the same channels. This means that their choices in other areas of life are also converging to make Indian kids into a homogenous group.

     

    #2 Just 22% of kids watch TV after school: The EduMedia survey conducted revealed statistics that are shocking. Children spend at least 8 to 10 hours in school. Assuming most children and finish school by 3pm, they are left with about 7 hours approximately before going to sleep. Besides the amount of time that these children spend on travelling, they dedicate about 3 hours to coaching classes or completing a heap of homework, they actually have very little time left for leisure activities. This daily routine of children leaves them with little time for family, friends and entertainment – including spending time in front of TV.

     

    #3 Sony and Discovery channels are the topmost favourite channels with kids: In our survey of kids between 11 and 17, we found that instead of children’s and youth channels, it is Sony and Discovery channels which are ruling the roost when it comes to kids’ favourites. It is surprising that kids’ channels like Cartoon Network and youth channels like MTV and Channel V are not the top favourites. Does this mean then, that kids are not getting to watch what they want? Or are they growing older faster?

     

    #4 Kids actually don’t like watching TV alone; they prefer watching with their families: Contrary to popular assumptions that kids are tantrum-throwing monsters who will hog the TV viewing space, it was observed that they in fact like to sit down with their family while watching TV. This would lead them to step out of their ‘me’ zone and learn to accommodate other family members’ choices.

     

    #5 Watching too much TV can lead to children hitting puberty faster!A wide array of current scientific research in the field of child health tells us that TV is the cause why children are hitting puberty earlier today. Needless to say, children are growing up at a much higher pace than we can catch up with. This has a good as well as a bad side to it. They seem to understand the dynamics of the adult world and often deal with situations like adults. They become more aware and informed about the happenings around them. While we appreciate this, we might also want to take a look at the rising rate of pregnancies, drug abuse and anti-social activities among children.

     

    Tabassum Modi is Executive Director at EduMedia India

     

  • One really has no idea what’s happening out here. It’s okay to be a bit arty sharty in ads, but not at the cost of comprehension

    Debrief: Royal Stag: Nothing royal about this

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Didn’t know Royal Stag whisky is such a huge brand. They have hired the services of two very expensive movie stars for one single commercial. Wow! Thinking of the likely budget for this one makes me want to reach for a Patiala peg. And their claim that this TVC is for Royal Stag ‘mega music’ collection makes me want to dive into a vat full of booze.

     

    The commercial, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, is a load of nonsense. The visuals make very little sense, one really has no idea what’s happening out here. It’s okay to be a bit arty sharty in ads, but not at the cost of comprehension. All you see is various shots of the two heroes lost in deep thought, while flashing certain strange expressions, as the voiceover continues non-stop about competing with one’s own self, or some such heavy-duty stuff.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfyE2ENhX1o[/youtube]

    For one, both the heroes are neither royal nor stag. Both are much married, and both go around beating up people in public places. (Maybe those are the sort of dudes Royal Stag targets.) Both are also overused in advertising, so brand recall will be zilch. Therefore am not sure how much the brand gains with all this mega expenditure. I think the least the makers of Royal Stag should have done, having signed up SRK and Saif, is to create thrilling little movie films with them. That would have ensured some entertainment happens and the brand scores some points too.

     

    This looks like a half done ad. The VO says: “Abhi Shah Rukh Banna Baaki Hai.” I think abhi ad banna baaki hai.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1. Gobbledygook.

     

  • Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare on primetimes news and in the papers the morning after

    Ranjona Banerji: Damp squib disclosures

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    I can’t speak for other newspaper readers but I for one find those bookmark type page protrusions used by advertisers vastly annoying. They make holding a newspaper uncomfortable and folding it even worse. LG I think is the latest offender and moves from one newspaper to another. I can understand the desire for “innovative” advertising but not for idiotically annoying advertising.

     

    While on advertising, I have agree with Malavika Sanghvi in today’s Mid-Day that there is something very endearing about the ICICI ad where a little girl runs to buy a sweetie from a grumpy old shopkeeper. No fake sentiment and very good acting by all.

     

    **

     

    And now, on to the damp squib of the day: Arvind Kejriwal’s stunning disclosure about BJP president Nitin Gadkari. As it turned out, it was the same disclosure that had been made earlier – that he got land acquired for an irrigation project as a favour from the Maharashtra government. All the sharks, sensationalists and strategists in the media and the political arena who had been sharpening their knives and their defences were sorely disappointed by 5.30 pm on Wednesday evening, but where was the bombshell?

     

    Arnab Goswami was on air from 4.30 pm onwards, waiting to see who was going to be excoriated and exiled. Political analysts were on hold. The nation was waiting. And we heard what we thought we already know. Yes, maybe Gadkari had been a bit of a naughty boy but hardly the devil incarnate. Most TV channels felt that these revelations were not damning enough.

     

    It was on Headlines Today, between Shiv Aroor, Rahul Shivshankar and Javed Ansari that one actually got a political overview that went through the various responses of the BJP and Kejriwal and friends to build a picture of the future.

     

    **

     

    By the night however, everyone in the media had regrouped and realised that something was better than nothing. Goswami was angry again and one had to feel sorry for Nirmala Seetharaman of the BJP as she tried to defend her party president, dissemble on the charges and attack the Congress.

     

    On CNNIBN, veteran journalist and BJP supporter Swapan Dasgupta looked quite sad (as did Ravi Shankar Prasad) when he said that the BJP had lost some moral ground in these allegations.

     

    **

     

    A couple of other news stories lost out in the Kejriwal allegation circus, damp squib or otherwise. US president Barack Obama appeared to have trumped his rival Mitt Romney in the second election debate. And Salman Khurshid’s outrageous remarks about fighting with ink and blood in what appeared to be a threat to Arvind Kejriwal. Certainly words unsuited to a Union law minister.

     

    **

     

    What was strange though was that neither last night’s TV news programmes nor today’s newspapers saw fit to get any reactions from Maharashtra’s ruling politicians or bureaucrats as to how Gadkari received all this official largesse.

     

  • Madan Sanglikar makes a case for mobile advertising’s effectiveness.

    The Anchor: Madan Sanglikar on 5 reasons mobile advtg delivers more ROI than conventional media vehicles

    By Madan Sanglikar

     

    #1 No other medium in the world has the reach that mobile enjoys. While mobile implies reaching everybody, it is also targeted since mobiles are personal. Mobile phone is hardly ever an arm’s length away from us.

     

    #2 The mobile is the only device they can own and use. Most of the population in India today does not have an access to computer.

     

    #3 Mobile is an entertainment, communication, information device. from brand perspective, it allows the consumer to do anything and everything without moving away from the screen. various elements of phone work together.

     

    #4 Mobile is actually clearing the gaps that the internet as an advertising vehicle had.

     

    #5 As of today, mobile gives 2-to-5 times the response to even online advertising. The search level on mobile phone on lot of retail-based products, especially food-specific businesses, has already outpaced computers.

     

    Madan Sanglikar is the CEO of ad2c.

     

  • Editors and television content chiefs need to introspect on India Against Corruption activists using the media to build their own brand, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: The media is being used

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    During the 26/11 carnage, terrorists freely used the electronic media to their advantage, and (hopefully) some hard lessons have been learnt post that incident. Now, it’s the turn of the politicians. It is obvious that the India Against Corruption (IAC) guys are regularly using the media to build their own brand. And once again, editors and particularly the television content chiefs will need to introspect on this.

     

    In their mad quest for ‘Breaking News’, it isn’t occurring to news channel folks that they are being hired as a convenient ladder. What the IAC team is doing is to create scandals based on half-baked information in order to malign the big-name political leaders. This information isn’t enough to pronounce a person guilty in a court of law, but the idea is to fling some mud and, given the mood of the masses, most of it sticks. People on the streets have already pronounced Robert Vadra and Salman Khurshid guilty as charged, nothing can save these men now. All thanks to the breathless coverage on television.

     

    It is not my case that these people aren’t guilty. But the correct course of action would be to cross-check and verify all allegations before putting them out on air. Indeed, that’s the way journalists are supposed to operate. But in the hunger for sensationalism, and in order to beat the rivals, news channels aren’t bothering with such trivia. They are going on air the moment an accusation is hurled. I find this situation quite unfair. This means anyone can malign anyone he wants based on all sorts of wild allegations. And clearly, that can’t be the way forward.

     

    Much as though one would like the new political party to come to the fore, it can’t be done by smashing basic rules of ethical journalism. If, along the way, the courts dismiss these allegations, who becomes responsible for the individual’s sullied reputation? It won’t just be the accuser, it will be the media that broadcast the ‘story’.

     

    I really think the time has come for TV channels to ponder on this issue, and apply the brakes on such unfair coverage. No one should be allowed to use the media, however noble that individual/organization’s intentions might be.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. An art director has designed a superb typeface, exclusively for doctors. Serves them right, I say. If they are going to write their prescriptions in Greek, they may as well use designer lettering.

     

    Link: http://stocklogos.com/topic/typeface-designed-doctors

     

  • Every week, Deepa Gahlot casts a critical eye over media reviews of Bollywood releases… in Reviewing the Reviews

    Reviewing the Reviews: Student Of The Year

    Student Of The Year

    Key Cast: Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan

    Written By: Rensil D’Silva

    Directed By: Karan Johar

    Produced By: Hiroo Yash Johar and Gauri Khan

     

    By the time Student Of The Year released with its high-powered promotion, everybody knew a Karan Johar film was on the way.

     

    There is a way of viewing a typical and unabashedly escapist Bollywood film – you have to suspend all sense of reality. But, as so many critics have noted, even Bollywood aimed-for-NRI fantasies can get to be too much. The film got mostly condescending reviews with 2 or 3 stars.

     

    Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times commented, “Karan Johar’s forte is excess. He creates fantastical worlds brimming with beautiful people and expensive things and yet anchors them in high emotion. His films work as both designer porn and soap opera. The pleasure you derive from his films is directly connected to your tolerance of candy floss. I’ve always been seduced. But the danger of candy floss is that it can quickly become vacuous and over-designed.”

     

    Rajeev Masand of ibnlive was sarcastic: “The hardest job on a Karan Johar film set must belong to the cleaners, who I imagine spend most of the day on their knees scrubbing floors, dusting furniture, and basically making sure everything is spotless. The director’s new film, Student of the Year, is set on an impossibly chic campus where good-looking teenagers are invariably breaking into song or breaking into fights. Yet you’ll never spot a carelessly strewn cola can or even a stray sheet of paper lying around in the corridors or in the canteen. Oh those poor cleaners!”

     

    Sukanya Verma of rediff.com wrote, “Treatment is Karan Johar’s forte and it is what makes his first film with rank newcomers, despite the absence of a logical plot, so fresh and zany. Unlike KKHH, which had the advantage of two superstars and one dazzling aspirant, neither of SOTY’s three key players are seasoned actors. Incisive as he is, the filmmaker is well aware of the strengths and limitations of his inexperienced cast, concealing their inadequacies to imply that strange allure of rawness while drawing on their eager energy to convey a refreshing charm.”

     

    Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express was left cold. “I have a bone to pick with Karan Johar, who invites us, once again, to witness a bunch of young students do their thing. Not because this is yet another impossibly swish ‘school’ which bears little resemblance to the posh-est educational institutions we have in the country: after the seismic shock of that first Riverdale-high-school-clone in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, anything was possible. Not because we are asked to believe that these beautifully-toned, manicured, polished, perfectly-attired creatures are ‘students’ in their final year of school: a KJo film will faint at the thought of scruffiness, where even a muddy dab on a sweatshirt after a strenuous game of football appears artfully daubed. And so what if they don’t look as youthful as they ought, as long as they are good-looking, right?”

     

    In contrast, Madhureeta Mukherjee of TOI gushed, “It’s KJo-Wala Love! Served fresh and piping hot from the Dharma college canteen of romance. And it’s a high (class) school that you’d never want to miss a lecture of, ever. Except that it has its own set of Karan rules. Read the prospectus: 1. Leave your text-books at home but ensure you’re carrying your designer bags and heels. 2. Drive a Ferrari to school, or if you’re poorer, take a bike. 3. Dating, mating, separating and love lessons shall be part of the syllabus. 4. Girls, don your shortest minis, and guys, rip off the shirts. Welcome to St. Teresa’s. Rest assured, it’ll be a well-rounded entertainment experience.”

     

    Janhavi Samant of Mid-day hissed, “The students of the prestigious St Teresa school in Dehradun all exist in some strange North Indian bubble – male students show off their super-toned bodies and finely-honed muscles while swimming, running or dancing to wedding sangeet with their kurta buttons open. The heroine and her rival’s skirts are smaller than their bags and they continually hover around the said muscular heroes vying for their attention.”

     

    Karan Anshuman of Mumbai Mirror quipped, “Ah Bollywood. A genre so escapist, so unshackled to reality that it’d give JRR Tolkien a complex. And if the genre may be compared to The Lord of the Rings, then Karan Johar is its Gandalf. He waves a staff and sets the bar.  Make no mistake, I say this with utmost reverence because this is what the world (and I mean an audience that includes and goes beyond Indians and NRIs) expects and wants when they pay ticket money for a ‘Bollywood film’. And nobody does it better than Mr Johar. So here we go. Rich kids in designer labels? Check. Establishing characters through song and dance? Check. Superbly filmed wedding sequence? Check. Manipulative writing and background score designed to trigger your tear ducts? Check. A polished product in all technical departments? Check. Aim to make the film as unreal as possible? Check.”