Advertising and filmmaking, when the twain met in Goa

Panaji: The highlight of day two of Goafest 2016, India's foremost advertising, marketing and media convention, was the leadership summit with filmmakers Karan Johar and R Balki. In a freewheeling conversation the two stalwarts of the Hindi film industry spoke about the similarities and differences between filmmaking and advertising, the semi-symbiotic relationship they share, and ways the two could enhance each other's creativity to better engage viewers.
"Advertising is what makes superstars who they are.While actors may not look at the industry as the most creative, they know the cash is here," opined Balki, director of the memorable 'Cheeni Kum', and a one-time advertising guru. Johar, on his part, chuckled saying that for actors it was all about the number of endorsements and advertisements in their kitty.
Replying to a question on "meaningful cinema", Johar, who was very candid in pronouncing himself as a director not known for such cinema, expressed his worry for the future of the genre. "Cinema footfalls have reduced by 10-25%," he shared saying that this was the death knell of Indian cinema rung by alternate entertainment platforms. "If we do not empower our writers it will spell death for Indian cinema," he pronounced.
On which point Balki felt that it was time the cinema industry borrowed talent from the advertising industry to market films, to write and direct films, etc. "Why have they not reached out to each other," he said questioning the mutual marginalization followed by both industries.
Johar was quick to mock his fraternity, calling them those with a herd mentality. "We are not the one's with strategic moves," he said and elucidating his point went on to point out how even though the industry was well aware that their present methods of film promotion were not working they were still hammering away at the over tried and failed ideas. "I wish people would hire advertisers for we are doing it all wrong," the director said adding on a quirky note that in his father's days taking a print to Vaishno devi and praying for its success was the only promotion methodology followed.
More than looking for ways to hook audiences, Balki felt, it was time both industries broke out of the defined patterns of creativity they have set for themselves. "The people are only looking for engagement," he said as an admonishment to the advertisement fraternity gathered, urging them to forget what their fraternity thought about them and only concentrate on consumers of their products.
On a lighter note, Johar replying to another question on Hindi cinema's "adaptation" of films, said that world over adaptation was a recognized category. "In India, however, we do basderdization," he shot out.