Brand new!
Who am I? What am I doing here? We are all very self-centered, we all want to be respected and liked. We all have a certain sense of value that surrounds us, we want everyone to accept this and maybe buy it. We are all brands.
My trademark begins at home. There are certain values and expectations that my son has of me. He sees me as a package of hugs, kisses, toffees and toys. He looks up to me as someone who will play with him. Someone he can jump from, knowing full well that I will protect him.
All these virtues and qualities that he misses when I am not with him. He longs for me and sometimes cries. He needs me at all costs, he loves me, I am his trusted brand, I am his father.
To expand on this example, I form an integral part of many lives at home. My servants consider me their all-giving boss. My sister looks to me as her only living relative, whom she loves immeasurably. My wife considers me her punching bag and someone to yell at. I play these various roles sometimes very well and sometimes less than adequately. But there is always an attempt to fulfill the various jobs or qualities I have been entrusted with.
I am sure the thoughts must arise in the minds of those I deal with from time to time to change their brand. I know my wife would like to change if she could. But in the end they remain there. The efforts to keep her happy or satisfied will vary in interval, ranging from a small reprimand to a large diamond.
Sometimes flattering, sometimes with authority and at times telling them that there is no better alternative. But these are just methods and modalities, what really works in my favor is that I have instilled in my family a sense of trust in me.
Now, as far as business jargon goes, I have become a brand without making any conscious effort. One fine morning I woke up and I was a Hindi film actor. The next morning I was a star and before the day was over I was a brand. All this happened in the blink of an eye, in just 10 years.
Somehow, some unseen forces worked to put me in such a situation. But I know for sure that there was a boy from Delhi who really wanted to work hard and please his clients, his audiences and even his critics. I wanted everyone to like me and need me. I wanted to be owned and wanted the owner to feel proud to show me around. I wanted everyone to love Shah Rukh Khan, whatever the guise! As a lover, as a killer or as a teacher, I want to please.
I knew from the beginning that if I wanted to please, my outward appearance or packaging had to be the best. I am not talking about my looks because then I should have packed my bags and left Bombay many years ago.
By packaging, I mean that the films had to be shot by the best teams. The teams had to be Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai and Mani Ratnam. Whatever product you want to bring to the market, its central driving force has to be that of the highest quality. I was lucky enough to get that, from there to the brand it was a stone's throw.
To gain something, you have to lose something. Most good quality products have a price. In my line of work, it's the price of giving up the easy buck. I'm not saying that big producers don't pay well, I'm just saying that they don't pay you what you call market price. But they make up for it by giving you a film that's worth ten times more than your highest salary. That's the price I paid too. So to build a brand, you have to put some money in the sense of alternative costs. Good things don't come cheap.
Yet greed is an innate human trait. Yeh dil maange (This heart wants) more, whatever you have, it is rarely enough. To cope with that, I have devised alternative sources of income. Live shows, advertisements and even dancing at weddings. I know many people look down on this tendency. I know many of my other actor friends would never do that. There is a mystery and an aura that has to surround a star. You cannot break the myth of being a star. I am OK with that. But I do not agree with the myth that a star has to be shrouded in secrets and mystery. There is also an inherent mystery in being an open friendly neighbourly guy. It is just a matter of presentation and of course the work you do.
Unfortunately, we still haven't been able to understand that an actor doesn't have to be locked in an ivory tower, isolated and powerful in his own little world. He has to get out and build an alternative source of business, and in the process expand your audience. Believe me, there is no such thing as over-presence. Whenever you shy away from it, remember that the only way to be in the public consciousness is to be in front of them.
Besides, didn't you set out to be loved by everyone? Then why hold back? Just go all out. Even if it means dancing at a wedding, as long as it's to the song Mehndi laga ke rakhna and Chhaiyyan chhaiyan.
You need to create a feeling in your buyer that the product will be completed and delivered on time. In my case, I have passed on very good projects and deals to ensure that older ones are completed first. There has to be a certain reputation associated with your ability to deliver.
Gone are the days when a star could quit a film if he wished. Could come to the sets drunk or hungover unless it is Devdas. There has to be an elimination of what stars fondly call tantrums. Because when things are going well for them, anyone will give you capital. But when times are tough, only your buyer loyalty can help you save the day.
Once a brand is established, you can't just sit back and watch. You can't rest on the laurels of being good filmmakers and the great films you once made. The consumer has a short attention span. The consumer is restless. They expect that once they trust you, not only will you deliver, but you will deliver new things all the time. Like my son who loves his toy horse but expects me to constantly bring him new toys. The love is there, but it needs to be constantly refreshed and presented in new ways.
Reinvention is the mantra, be it creating a newer kind of films, a la Asoka or a new character like Shah Rock on the website.
We formed a company called Dreamz and Arc Lightz simply to fulfil this dictum. Since I cannot ask my producers to take risks on my behalf to reinvent myself, I decided to make my own films. In other words, put my words into action.
That's when I started creating products that I believed in, that were an extension of my brand. Clean and economically conscious films straight from the heart. The films should be made quickly, shot inexpensively and reflect a certain quality that people always expect from my brand. But in addition to all that, you also offer a newer dimension so that you can give them a hint about what's most important - next time.
In all probability, some might be successful, some might not. Like in our case, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani was not. But we made sure that the direct buyer was not too affected. We can go back to him and ask him for another chance. The buyer will give us another chance because he knows that we respect his money. If not Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, it will be Asoka, if not Asoka, it will be the next one.
Maybe we can create a brand of Indian cinema abroad, give them what they already think of when they think of India. Mysticism, Kama Sutra, elephants and technically savvy films. There is no point in trying to break traditions or ways of thinking. But I am sure that once we penetrate their market, we can get Julia Roberts to dance with me in the streets.
I've talked a lot for a person who claimed he didn't know why he was here. I have to talk a lot, it's part of my brand image, otherwise my sponsors are disappointed. I must have confused some of you. And that's also the current state of the film industry. And those of you who don't agree with what I'm saying, I give Omega watches as a freebie. I believe whenever brands make a misstep, they offer a freebie.
Because whenever I fail as a father or husband, a toy and a diamond work. Does it work miracles?
Thanks.
(Excerpts from SRK's speech at Frames 2001, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry)