Bollywood has kept us entertained for the past 100 years. We have action, drama, romance, comedy, tragedy, duplicates, inspiration, imagination, impromptu songs, choreographed dance numbers, sensuous beauties and a mother. Well, sort of. But we do have a strong Bollywood community. So, what can we, young and struggling entrepreneurs, learn from the century old, well established, Sharma Ji ka beta?
Lesson number 1 has to be networking. The opposite of networking is not working. Knowing the right people for the right job at the right time will take you places you didn’t know existed. Meet new people, try new jobs, venture into new fields to understand where you will grow the best.
Not even Shah Rukh Khan became a success overnight. But he persevered. Why you ask? Kisi Cheez Ko dil se chaaho to puri kayanat usey tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai. Every successful entrepreneur has stuck to his ideas throughout time. There will always be highs and lows. It is important to remember the lows will give way to the highs and success will come to you because kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai, aur haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hain.
Bollywood stuck around for more than 100 years now because it wasn’t afraid to experiment. It’s like Aamir Khan aptly said in Dhoom 3, jo duniya ko namumkin lage, wahi mauka hota hai kartab dikhane ka. We are famous for making the impossible possible and turning any situation to our benefit. Beta test new products, experiment in different areas, see which shoe fits, kiss a hundred frogs, haso, jeeyo, muskurao, kya pata kal ho na ho.
Build a brand and not just a product. One very prominent aspect of Bollywood is that all actors brand themselves and not just the movies they do. There’s a reason Amitabh Bachchan is the Shahenshah of Bollywood, while Shah Rukh is the Badshah! Promote your product, service and brand equally. Allow people to connect not just with your company as a whole and not just to what you offer.
Communicate well with everyone in all your circles so that your point and point of view is understood by the other person. Converse with your staff before putting a thought to action. Even Gabar asked Sambha for the right information. Involve your employees in the decision making process, ask for the public opinion, make sure everyone is on the same page. Open communication is essential for any kind of relationship to work.
Publicity and marketing make up the next lesson. Big posters and TV advertisements are being taken over by 10 second videos and 3 second boomerangs. As a startup owner, it is very important for you to stick with the times. Improve your marketing strategy, increase your publicity and most importantly concentrate on your social media presence.
Increasing social media presence gets us to the next lesson. Make sure you are connected with your audience. Not even the Khans of Bollywood are exempt from engaging with their fans. Reply to all queries you get across all the platforms, respond to complaints and take appropriate measures to rectify any fault from your side and do it transparently. Customers are Kings, and Kings should always be kept happy!
There’s a lot to learn from Bollywood for all aspiring entrepreneurs. It depends on you to take the information and make something out of it. If you do so, write to us at [email protected].
