Audience interaction, digital marketing and film-related activies: Bhojpuri cinema goes big on film promotion

Bhojpuri cinema is going the Bollywood way to promote its films in the country. And not just that, the industry is also releasing their films on the internet to reach the international audience. According to Nishant Ujjawal, a Patna-based distributor, ���������Film promotion was rare. Seldom did artists interact with the audience. But now things are changing. Over the last one year, at least 15 Bhojpuri films were promoted in Bihar and Jharkhand, the major Bhojpuri film viewing states.That is huge compared to earlier years, when such an activity was confined to two or three films.���������
Popular Bhojpuri (and Bollywood) actor Ravi Kishan says that promoting Bhojpuri films is the need of the hour. ���������When big stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are reaching out to their audience, then why should we also not do it?��������� he questions, adding, ���������I had done extensive promotions last year for my film Pandit Ji Batai Na Bayah Kab Hoye Part 2. We are also showcasing our films on the international platform. Bhojpuri cinema award have begun to be organized where the actors promote their films that are to be released. Last year the award ceremony was held in Mauritius and this year it is being held in Dubai.���������
Moving beyond boundaries
While earlier the promotional activities of Bhojpuri films would be confined to Bihar and Jharkhand where the percentage of Bhojpuri film viewers was high. But now promotional activities have moved to places like Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, where a lot of immigrant Bhojpuri speaking population resides. ���������Earlier our focus was Bihar and Jharkhand but now we have also expanded our promotional activity to other states like Punjab, Maharashtra and even Gujarat,��������� says Dinesh Lal Yadav ���������Nirahua���������, a well-known Bhojpuri film actor.
Sharing his experience, Nirahua says that prior to the release of his film Nirhaua Hindustani in 2014, which he had promoted aggressively in cities across the country, he had been disappointed with the audience response to his other films. ���������The collection of the films released before that was not up to my expectations. So I sat with my research team to find out the reason why this was happening. After a lot of analysis we got to know that the audience was bored of the kind of cinema being made. The challenge for us was to create a kind of film that appealed to the audience and bring them back to the theatre. Then when Nirahua Hindustani was ready, we thought of promoting it vigorously. I personally went to different cities and used to stop my car in the middle of congested shopping areas and tell people about the movie. The result was stupendous and the film ran in theatres for more than a year,��������� he says.
It is not just the geographical boundaries which the regional cinema is crossing for promotions but also in terms of promotional tactics. ���������Earlier the actors would merely go to the theatres, but now interactive sessions are held with people. If there is not enough space in the cinema halls then a stage is erected some place convenient where the star cast entertains the audience and also encourages them to join them on stage. Attracting audience by indulging in more dramatic activities such as riding a rickshaw, like Nirahua did for the promotion of his film Nirahua Rikshawala 2, or eating litti chokha with the audience are uncommon ideas,��������� says Ujjawal.
Actor Vishal Singh performed some action scenes during the promotion of film Lee Aaib Dulhania Pakistan Se, which released recently. ���������Since I have an image of an action hero, we decided to use that for the promotion of my film. I used some martial art moves during my performance. While interacting with the audience later on, I was complimented as being the Tiger Shroff of Bhojpuri cinema,��������� says Singh with a laugh.
Going the digital way
Like in Bollywood, Bhojpuri filmmakers too are taking the help of technology to promote their films and reach the international audience. Teasers and the first look of the film are now being promoted through the internet. ���������This being the age of technology, Bhojpuri filmmakers are adopting the use of internet to spread the word about their work. Posters lagana aur loudspeakers pe announce karna, jagah jagah ghoomna has become a thing of the past. Now Bhojpuri filmmakers use technnology to promote their films,��������� says director Vishal Verma who is shooting his film Beta in Varanasi these days.
���������We have a large audience for Bhojpuri cinema in countries like Fiji, Australia and America but unfortunately we have not been able to get a theatrical release of our films there yet,��������� says Nirahua, adding, ���������So technology comes handy in such a situation and we release these films on the internet or put their first look and teasers online. And we have seen that online release of Bhojpuri films is well received. In fact, at times it���������s getting better viewership than a Bollywood film.��������� claims actor Nirahua.
Increasing budget
Even the budget allocated to promote a Bhojpuri film has increased over the years, says Ujjawal. ���������As compared to Bollywood, the budget for promotions of Bhojpuri films would appear miniscule. But the fact is that it has increased over the years. From the earlier, 2-3% of the budget kept aside for promotions, it has now increased to 20% of the entire cost of the film.���������
Endorsing this is Nirahua, who says, ���������An average Bhojpuri film with a big star cast has a budget ranging from Rs 1 crore to `1.5 crore. `20-25lakh of that is spent on promotions. There is a considerable rise in the budget.���������
Content vs Promotion
Meanwhile, filmmaker and writer Mahesh Pandey is of the belief that merely promoting Bhojpuri films will not attract audience. The content will also have to be good to draw people to theatres. ���������Bhojpuri cinema still lags behind other regional cinema like Marathi or Bengali, in terms of content and quality. So, mere promotion of films cannot have the desired effect. What is really important is to improve the content of the films, which a majority of Bhojpuri films still lack,��������� avers Pandey who is known for Bhojpuri films like Gabbar Singh starring Jitendra.