Bollywood, social media's changing dynamics and the relevance of celebrity management

Gone are the days when a celebrity had one personal secretary who accompanied them to the sets, protected them from controversies, socialised at parties and basically chaperoned them at other social events. [caption id=“attachment_3762349” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sonu Lakhwani with Jacqueline Fernandez.[/caption] Today stars have a whole entourage accompanying them everywhere and a significant constituent of this entourage is the talent manager. The one who makes a star, a star. Someone who makes it a point to get the celebrity access to not just the best films, but also the best deals in terms of events, performances, advertisement and endorsements. To get an in-depth understanding of what talent management is and why a star is investing in this industry, Firstpost spoke to Sonu Lakhwani, founder of Wingman Talent Management & Wingman films. Lakhwani has managed celebrities from almost every part of the spectrum. He claims that he sleeps, eats and breathes Bollywood but you cannot miss his inclination towards social media and the phenomena it is, now. He maintains that the drastic shift from television to the web has changed the way content is being consumed. “No one wants to pay for TV slots. TV will be over by 2020,” says Lakhwani, hinting at Netflix and YouTube’s complete takeover of television. The one thing Lakhwani keeps emphasising throughout our conversation is the power of social media. He had written off television long ago, much to his colleagues’ surprise and firmly believes that digital is the future. “If Dhinchak Pooja can become what she is on YouTube, I can become Salman Khan,” he cheekily comments on the growing popularity of artists like Pooja and Taher Shah. The entertainment industry is driven by aesthetics. Lakhwani confirms that brands and endorsements come to those who package themselves well. “If Virat Kohli dressed like VVS Laxman, he wouldn’t be a style icon,” says Lakhwani.

Nowadays, it is a trend for celebrities to spend an exorbitant amount on image consultants and talent managers.

Some managers, in fact, have the last word in making professional decisions for some of the biggest stars of the country. Lakhwani agrees that there is a whole industry dedicated to this aspect of a celebrity’s life. No matter how difficult it might be, it is important for celebrities to maintain a certain type of public image to maintain their stardom. He says the only request he has for his clients is for them to behave themselves and always stay in control because their image is what they eventually monetise on. Ask him about who he thinks keeps it real on social media and pat comes his (predictable) reply, “Jacqueline Fernandez.” Interestingly, he manages Fernandez’s international assignments, along with a bevy of celebrities. He has also managed cricketer Sreesanth, and still shares a great equation with him. From Bollywood, he has had associations with Richa Chadda, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Zareen Khan, Ali Fazal among others. Talent managers have their task cut out for them.