UNMESH GUJARATHI
SPROUTS BRAND STORY
Mumbai: The recent seizure of drugs by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from the Cordelia cruise ship off Mumbai coast and the arrest of SRK’s son Aryan and others seems to be a well scripted drama going by the dithering stand of the NCB about the consumption of drugs by Aryan.
In the entire drama, it’s almost certain that the medical report related to Aryan’s involvement in drug consumption will be eventually “managed” to bail him out. It may be recalled that a host of Bollywood actors including Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea, were apprehended by the NCB earlier. But no action was taken against any of them. Eventually the career of Sanjay Dutt, who was once accused of drug-peddling, flourished.
The drama that is currently unfolding at the metropolitan magistrate’s court about the reported conduct of super star Shahrukh Khan’s eldest son Aryan Khan at a rave party on board a cruise ship, alleging that he was in possession of and also using narcotic drugs has more to it than meets the eye according to Bollywood observers who are familiar with such scripting.
The grapevine pouring in from these old-timers who are familiar with how Bollywood manages publicity and strategic launches clearly spelt out, “This drama is being scripted to ensure that the 23-year-old Aryan finds a comfortable platform for getting acceptance with both the Bollywood circles and cine-goers or movie enthusiasts who feel enamored by the “victim status” that the court battle accords Aryan.”
The premise tread on by these observers is any publicity is good enough or even bad publicity works out for good when it comes to effectively popularizing an image. The hint given is that ShahRukh Khan is using his networking skills with the nodal agencies to help script a court drama that will peter out with a tame acquittal for Aryan, thereby granting him a “victim status” in the eyes of the star-gazing audiences. It was also pointed out that zonal director of Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) Sameer Wankhede’s wife Kranti Redkar was a Marathi film actress and was well-connected with the film crowd. It is being viewed as a soft launch for Aryan that has been scripted by his father SRK well in advance, giving his son a martyr status in the eyes of the common folk.
Taking a circumstantial look, there is so much gossip that is taking place about Aryan that there would be no requirement for any public relation agency to promote his image and standing as an aspiring star son. Our Sprouts Special Investigation Team (SIT) uncovered the theory that Aryan was planted on the cruise ship at the right time deliberately to enable the court drama to unfold. Additionally, even in the event that Aryan was really involved, SRK has the best legal luminaries who can engineer an acquittal at a future point in time. Besides, actor Suniel Shetty jumping into the fray to defend Aryan early after his detention, stating, “Wait for the results of the probe to be declared,” sounds like the entire episode is a pre-orchestrated one.
In short, the script is awaiting a “not guilty” verdict that will enhance Aryan’s martyr status and bring him well into the limelight before his movie career takes off. The image sought for Aryan is to be that of a martyr wronged by the state, law and society. Our SIT further learnt from senior film fraternity sources, who said, “A martyr turned anti-hero screenplay is being turned into a movie as TV news channels deliver the latest bit of gossip about him. All the consequences can be easily measured and quantified in REAL TIME using Google Trends, Facebook Analytics and Twitter traffic and trends. In the bargain, Sameer Wankhede earns the status of an honest officer who dares to arrest even the rich and famous without fear or favour.”
A source who is well acquainted with the thinking of strategic planners who assist in promoting or marketing the popularity of stars and also ensuring good performance of their films at the box office, said, “In such instances, there will be deliberate leaks to prominent media houses that will hit the front page or get prominent display. The purpose of these leaks is to make a sound footing for effectuating a soft launch.” Summarizing their perspective on the episode, they informed the SIT that this could well pass off as a joint venture between SRK and the probing NCB sleuths for the benefit of Aryan’s film career.
Besides, Bollywood has for long had its romancing with the drug culture. A host of names including that of Sunjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea, Arjun Rampal and finally the late Sushant Singh Rajput find their names in such a hall of fame.
Unmesh Gujarathi
Editor in Chief
sproutsnews dot com
