From reel to Real: India's changing relationship with Bollywood celebrities

Highlights from a JWT Brand Chakras study
The Indian film star is no longer only a hero of the silver screen; he is a beacon of inspiration
to his fans. Their on-screen portrayals are being given lesser importance and their off-screen
lives and personality have gained prominence, says the recent JWT Brand Chakras™ Study:
From Reel to Real Life.
The study reveals that film stars are no longer considered to be larger than life in terms of his
or her persona and lifestyle; they are now real individuals who have risen to extraordinary
heights. This shift in how celebrities are viewed is largely attributed to the availability of more
real time, wide spread knowledge of what the stars do off screen – be it television shows,
blogs, news controversies, or activism. While celebrities were once virtual prisoners of the
characters that they played on-screen, they are now seen as individuals whose personal traits
earn them as much admiration as their display of talent on-screen. His real attitudes and his
larger life story is where the opportunities for brands lie.
The study reveals: 1) a model of how consumers relate to celebrities, and therefore how
celebrity brands can be shaped; 2) the key payoffs that consumers derived from the three
celebrities studied (Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Akshay Kumar); and 3) kinds of fan
relationships.
The Brand Chakras framework revealed that Shahrukh Khan operates mainly in Power and
Transcendence (leadership and vision) Chakras, while Hrithik Roshan was observed to be
operating in the Love and Creative Expression Chakras. Akshay Kumar, on the other hand,
was seen to be dominating in Survival and Pleasure Chakras.
The study also threw up three different types of fan relationships. The Entertainment Seeker:
the fan who derives nothing but entertainment from the film star - for him the celebrity is an
object of entertainment. The Fantasy Seeker: The film star serves as fodder for his fantasies;
he seeks the same looks and the material success. The Inspiration Seeker: for him, the film
star is a role model for what is possible in life, endorses a set of values and exemplifies the way
he should or wants to lead his life. Different fans would be deriving different benefits from
different celebrities.
The qualitative study undertaken by JWT was executed through Focus Group Discussions and
Depth Interviews in Delhi and Mumbai amongst fans of Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and
Hrithik Roshan.