With time, everything changes, and this stands true even for our Bollywood celebrities. Till last year, tinsel-town divas such as Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif not only ruled the roost as regards the silver screen, but also were the hot favourites of all the brands desiring to have them in their commercials.
However, with a huge number of new faces entering Bollywood, most brands have shifted their focus on names such as Taapsee Pannu, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Pandey and Janhvi Kapoor.
“India is a young country, with a large population between the age group of 18 to 30 years,” opines ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, adding, “So brands target celebs who are also in the same age group to attract as many customers as possible. Also, as these youngsters are new in the business, even the audience wants to see more of them, be it in movies, ad commercial or reality shows.”
Brand psychology
Sources from the advertisement world claim that the ‘Big 3’ among the screen queens comprise Taapsee, Sara and Janhvi. “Taapsee’s big plus is her relatability. She’s not your unattainable Lux beauty, but the pretty, perky girl next door one can relate to. Sara, on the other hand, is glamorous and sunny, the kind of girl you would believe when she sells beauty products or a chewing gum. As for Janhvi, she is favoured for one reason — Sridevi. The consumer relates to her instantly when they see her,” says a well-placed executive at an advertisement agency.
Speaking of why the earlier lot of actresses are no longer favoured, another source from the ad world says, “Deepika and Kareena’s married statuses are a big no-no in the ad world. As for Katrina, she has had her innings.”
Marital status
Ask the ad guru if the marital status of an actress is something that can affect her brand endorsements, and he quips, “Oh yes! Once an actress is married, she’s no longer considered as desirable, and thus the brands start moving to fresh faces. However, this very rule is not applicable to men. Men are desirable irrespective of their marital status, and Ranveer Singh is a classic example of this.”
Indeed, even as younger stars such as Vicky Kaushal and Karthik Aryan endorse many products, Ranveer seems to be attracting ever more brands.
Show stoppers
Interestingly, the younger lot have taken over our screens not only to sell products, but also to make their presence felt in the fashion world. Many designers have been choosing these divas as their show-stoppers.
According to Lubna Adams, one of India’s leading fashion choreographers, the fashion world is always on the lookout for fresh faces. “We must understand that brands/designers will have to spend more money if they want bigger, more popular/ trending faces. These younger faces are yet to prove themselves and there is a lot of competition in this industry. So, they are willing to put that extra effort without overcharging or having any reservations,” she concludes.
