Nothing wrong with in-film branding: Madhur Bhandarkar

Jun 28, 2013 IANS

Kolkata, June 28 (IANS) Known for churning out women-centric movies, National award winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar feels there is nothing wrong with in-film branding as long as it does not obstruct one's cinematic vision.

Bhandarkar, who drew plaudits for his films like "Chandni Bar", "Traffic Signal", "Page 3", "Corporate", "Fashion" and "Heroine", has successfully weaved in promotions for big brands in many of his ventures.

"If it's the glamour industry I am showing and if it gels very well, there is nothing wrong in it. If it's a big film, then there is nothing wrong with it and I think one should do it too if it's in the right perspective," Bhandarkar said during an interactive session on 'Women In Cinema', organised by FICCI Ladies Organization here.

Bhandarkar's 2012 release "Heroine", starring Kareena Kapoor, had showcased eight brands including cosmetic giant Lakme.

"The revenue which we got from the branding recovered half the cost of the movie. The marketing department comes and tells us about endorsements, and if I feel it doesn't hamper my cinematic liberties then there's nothing wrong with it," he said.

However, he cautioned that such endorsements should be "subtle" and "not over the top".