Katrina Kaif Guides Young Entrepreneurs About Investment In Film Production

It is indeed a pleasure listening to this chirpy Bollywood beauty, one of the mega stars of today, who has faced the tests of time developing a thick skin to all the criticism polishing her art, till the time she achieved critical acclaim.

Katrina Kaif addresses young entrepreneurs at TieCon Mumbai Summit in conversation with Anand Desai - Co-chair, Tiecon, talking about her journey in Bollywood, lessons learnt and moving ahead from being an actor to becoming an entrepreneur as she unveils her prospects to produce films and launching a beauty brand.

Kaif began with an opening remark on how has been her journey in Bollywood saying, "I have been here in the Indian film industry for quite a while and I think time flies, when you are having fun and yes I'm having a lot of fun."

Desai drew attention on the current entertainment scenario, discussing possibilities of new opportunities with the megastar who is turning entrepreneur, "Entertainment industry's entire canvas has changed with platforms like Netflix with technology coming in to bring opportunities for actors and the creative fraternity. So how do u see the technology changing the face of the entertainment industry for the artist community?"

Kaif, "Well I think in the last few years the digital streaming has been a game changer that has changed the face of entertainment, that I can say as an actor. With all these multiple platforms coming in like Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar etc. they have provided so much freedom to explore subjects to the actors, directors, producers. Now we don't have any inhibitions of choosing subjects to be showcased since a variety of subjects have opened up. So the content that cannot be put on cinema can now be watched on the small screens or on the mobile phones for that matter."

Talking about endorsing a cause and being responsible Kaif says, "We as actors understand how our voice matters to impact an issue and how a face can help a cause. I support NGOs to support educate girls and feel humbled if I can help in reaching out to many.

It is important to see what are you promoting and there needs to be a huge sense of responsibility as an endorser for its safety and value, for which media needs to be very careful."

"Since I am turning a producer now, so I have an option which subject to choose for a film and which for the digital media or Television show. With the influx of the platforms, it is opening so much up for content creators, so today I don't have the box office pressures and judgments of the people and have the freedom to explore dealing with subjects and decide to develop content likewise for a film or maybe for a TV show," added Kaif.

Do you see opportunities for the newcomers who are struggling to make a mark in the entertainment industry and how are these digital platforms helping them with TV awards and online awards coming soon?

Kaif talks about overcoming inhibitions and facing the challenges that are very important for an actor at any stage, "I think now online viewership has opened up and honestly in the entertainment industry every day is a struggle and one has to start every new day like a fresher in the industry with a sense of brightness and eagerness to learn and that too with the same humility. As time passes you need to develop a thick skin and have to put emotions and personal sensitivities aside and have the passion to succeed irrespective of all the criticism that you face," added Kaif.

Talking about the advantages that digital media brings with it Kaif said, "Yes, now the opportunities are more to explore and work, as the viewership has also opened up and the newcomers have so much opportunity to get recognised. Like there are many directors, whom I have come cross from Whistling Woods Film Institute with some amazing scripts and ideas and they are so many successful new directors who have directed for the films on YouTube, that I am in talks with."

Desai shared his observation that an actor's enthusiasm comes out on the screen with the kind of environment he works in. So how does the environment while shooting contributes to giving a great performance for an actor? 

Kaif agreeing to the point says, "Yes I strongly believe in that and there have been certain films in which there are so much joy and excitement on the sets and have so much positive energy that reflects in your character and helps an actor."

So how professional is the Indian film industry as compared to Hollywood?

Kaif appreciated the professionalism the Indian film industry bestows and said, "Yes it is really professional in Hollywood as I have worked on certain projects in Los Angeles in terms of handling legalities and documentation. But, in India too we have some amazing production houses who are really professional like the Yashraj Films, Dharma Productions, who really do fantastic work and handle everything so well. There is nothing that I can point out that is missing in Bollywood. I think we have come a long way and know the business very well," adds Kaif.

So how difficult it is to get into production and that too for a woman?

Kaif said "Well it's little tough and I think it is in every career and industry be it film production or to start your own startup, there are times that you have a great idea, but you are bogged down either with your own inhibitions or sometimes you are discouraged by people. But, I think that fear is the key to success because it is a crucial moment that you have to face it and move past it."

"Well as a woman I have been very articulative and careful about the business side of film making for which I don't need to be careless, and have always been keen to know about the budgets, publicity and of course there are many other things to take care about."

Desai talked about investors who are keen about investing in film projects, but at the same time are calculating risks and return of investment, and what should be the advice for them?

Karina stresses on knowing the film concept, production processes, budgets before starting any project as she explains, "Most important is whom you partner with for film production, like what is the message behind the film, what is the intention of the person who's trying to make the film and what is being conveyed to the society. So on one side, you need to have a financial mind, but also you need to have a creative mind to analyze the pros and cons of the production in which you plan to invest. So if more interest is put into all these aspects, then the project will see more success."

Further guiding the investors Kaif stresses to select the right team and similar mindsets to team up with, like the writer, director and the production house. Initially, it is important for the investor to discuss the idea to make a film. Then comes the time to choose a production house that brings the idea into shape.

Desai pointed on building a brand through social media and how celebrities have made great social media presence. So how successful is social media to pull up a celebrity as a brand or they just do random PR exercises to seek attention?

Kaif said, "I think social media has a great scope, but we really need to be very conscious in projecting a self-image as celebrities and individuals, especially for the younger generation, students and teenagers, who are very influenced by comments and visuals they see on social media. So it's important for everyone to not judge yourself with the images and comments you receive on social media. If we take care of all these aspects social media can be an extremely invaluable platform for any brand that can be benefitted from these platforms."

Talking about her future as an entrepreneureur Kaif says, "I'm developing a line of my own beauty products because I think I have been involved for last so many years doing makeup. I studied many brands and the types of consistency and very passionately decided to team up with a brand that is a market leader, and will promote the brand and a product primarily through social media. So I think that the future is bringing in social media to add value to new brands and the business models and I am also looking forward to having some excellent men grooming products is my line, that's good news for all men out here," chuckled Kaif.

Priyaanka Mathur

BW Reporters The author is Assistant Editor of BW Businessworld