Top Bollywood acts follow Dubai dream

Armed with four cell phones that constantly compete for their owner's attention, Atul Kasbekar has emerged an important man in Bollywood's halls of power. The ace photographer runs one of India's biggest celebrity management companies, Bling Entertainment Solutions, and describes himself as a modern-day matchmaker whose job is to unite stars with their multi-million dollar brands.

Poised to open Bling's first Dubai office after Ramadan, Kasbekar (below) believes now is the right time to branch out into this region, which loves all things Bollywood. "We recently had Shilpa Shetty jetting off to Qatar, while many of our stars are constantly being approached for store openings and real estate endorsements here. Dubai was a natural progression," Kasbekar tells Emirates Business in an exclusive interview.

The 44-year-old seems unconcerned with the added responsibility considering he has his hands full these days, what with location scouting for the next Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar and pulling off a coup by convincing Slumdog Millionaire star Anil Kapoor to endorse his first brand in a 30-year film career – a deal which also features actress daughter, Sonam Kapoor.

"Anil and Sonam will be the faces of Montblanc, with the shoot for the first promotions wrapping up as early as this week," says Kasbekar. "This deal is exciting not only because this is Anil's first-ever endorsement, but also because this is the first time in advertising history that a father-daughter pair are endorsing a brand together."

Having shot and built a personal relationship with Bollywood's movers and shakers, Bling already boasts several top stars on its roster, including Celebrity Big Brother winner Shetty, as well as actors Shahid Kapur, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and many, many more.

And between these starry names, Kasbekar's company hooked up Rampal and Hollywood's Nicole Kidman for Schweppes; Balan and Madhavan romance each other for Airtel telecom; Sonam is the face for L'Oreal; real-life couple Ranbir Kapoor and Padukone are the faces of Pepsi; and while Ranbir goes solo for Panasonic television, Padukone is the face for Tissot watches and Indian tycoon Dr Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines.

"When I saw the rushes of Om Shanti Om," he says of Padukone's first film in 2007, "I told Dr Mallya she would be a superstar; that he should sign her before Kingfisher becomes the 18th brand to line up outside her door."

Today, Padukone has become one of India's most promising stars, with her new film Love Aaj Kal (in UAE cinemas this week) already opening to critical acclaim, while Dr Mallaya is laughing all the way to the bank.

Banking on his goodwill with his celebrity clientele and anticipating their future returns is all in a day's work for Kasbekar and his team of 15 people. But their jobs don't just end there.

"We are on call 24 hours a day, doing everything from marketing their brands and making sales pitches to running their errands and providing a shoulder to cry on; heck, we even fill in as therapists if need be," he says.

Critics argue that celebrities are treated like a luxury commodity these days, where the public image and brand association hold more value than technical skills. Two-film old Sonam Kapoor, 24, provides a perfect case study. Both her films – 2007's Saawariya and this year's Delhi-6 – failed to perform well at the global box office. Yet, the actress has bagged deals with cosmetic giant L'Oreal – which until recently had an exclusive contract with Bollywood's Aishwarya Bachchan – and now, Montblanc.

"Sonam is the face of tomorrow. She is an immensely talented individual who's highly intelligent, gracious and very well mannered," says Kasbekar. "Her brand power is there for the world to see. Frankly, had Anil walked the red carpet with Sonam at the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards this year, no one would have even given Slumdog's Frieda Pinto a second look."

He goes on to add: "Critics in India talk about celebrity branding as a strange concept, yet it has worked phenomenally well in Hollywood. I'm a firm believer that creative people should not be involved in marketing themselves; in fact, most of them make terrible business people and are simply not proactive at pitching themselves. This job requires a specific level of expertise and if its something as important as the collection of money, we can do it five times better than any star."

Ask about the money involved and Kasbekar says the breakdown is complex depending on the clauses in the contracts. But pay cheques can range from Rs500,000 (Dh37,884)?to Rs700,000 for up and coming celebs, while top stars can charge up to Rs1 million to Rs1.5m per day. "But to get to them even with the right pay package, you have to filter through us."

As the CEO of Bling, and a much-in demand photographer, it is not surprising that reaching Kasbekar himself involves a series of filters. "I would be shattered if I was able to pick up the phone and directly get through to Annie Leibovitz [famous Hollywood photographer] without even trying," he laughs. "Similarly, I get contacted by hundreds of models who want to be featured in the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar. You think I have time to respond to all? My assistants shortlist the candidates and they perform a test shoot before I even see the finalists."

So who would he say is India's biggest celeb brand? First, Kasbekar tries political correctness, taking almost all the names on his roster. Further probing gets him to name cricketing legend Sanchin Tendulkar – who he calls a dear friend – and superstar Shah Rukh Khan as every company's dream. "I first shot with SRK during the shoot of Mayur Suitings and recently with Tag Heuer watches. He is an actor who not only lends his name to a brand, but lives it. When he signed on for Pepsi, every shoot of his stocked the drink; his movies saw him drink only Pepsi; he even has a Pepsi vending machine at home. How can a company find fault with such dedication?"

Kasbekar sees that same spirit in the younger Shahid Kapur, whose new film, Kaminey, releases August 13. "That film will be his big breakthrough," says the photographer. "The boy will become a man, and the actor will become a brand."


There but for fortune

Ace photographer and CEO of Bling Entertainment Solutions Atul Kasbekar talks about three Indian stars who lost out on the brand wagon.

Bobby Deol

"When Bobby first erupted on to the scene, his looks, attitude and style made him an instant star. But his true potential was never realised. The only brand he ever successfully endorsed was Provogue fashion."

Sunny Deol

"After 2001's Gadar, Sunny Deol was a national icon. Had he had the right management, he could have easily endorsed rugged products that kept with his macho man image. But like his brother Bobby, he too is a family man who was never taken in by the Bollywood glam."

Tabu

"She is by far the most talented actress we have today. Because of her choice in sensible films, she could have easily lent credibility and respect to anything she endorsed."

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