For someone who has not endorsed a product in his life, it must amuse Rajinikanth to find that his on screen character in Kabali is being embraced by just about every major brand in town.
Not a surprise because when the Superstar has a super allergy to being associated with any product barring his films, why not make do with the next best thing. So if Rajini-Kant, Kabali can.
After all, as Rajini says in the movie in his inimitable drawl “Kabaaaaaaali da”.
Air Asia was the first one to take off, entering into a tie-up with the producers of Kabali. For the first time in India, a commercial aircraft adorned itself with images of a film star.
The aircraft will also take off on July 22 from Bengaluru with 180 diehard Rajinikanth fans to watch the first day first show of Kabali at a theatre in Chennai. For Air Asia which is charging ₹7860 per ticket (a regular ticket from Bengaluru to Chennai costs somewhere around ₹1600) on the Kabali flight, it is not about raking in the moolah. The mileage of being associated with Rajinikanth, will take the low cost carrier to a verra (different) level.
Airtel followed suit with Kabali recharge packs with unlimited 2G internet, Kabali hello tunes and Kabali branded SIM cards. As an incentive to Airtel subscribers, the service provider will enable them to wish Rajinikanth through SMSes, which will be compiled into a coffee table book and presented to the Superstar.
Airtel will also roll out a 3D holographic Kabali van that will go around Tamil Nadu running the movie teaser starting this Friday for the next 30 days. Clearly Airtel will laugh all its way to the bank, riding on the Rajini-Kabali brand.
“With our Kabali products, we look forward to delivering an exciting and up close experience for all the Rajini fans across Tamil Nadu,” says George Mathen, Hub CEO, Bharti Airtel for Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Step into Chennai and you are more than likely to hear a Kabali song as the ringtone on a mobile phone. On any road in the city, you will find autos that have covered themselves with Kabali posters.
A movie starring Sivaji Ganesan's grandson Vikram Prabhu has been announced with the title Neruppu Da (fire blazing fiercely) which is the most popular track of Kabali. That's not all. A parent even announced on Instagram that he has named his newborn Kabali.
“Every corporate outfit wants to associate with Rajinikanth. They realise that there is a lot of frenzy associated with Kabali and so it is the best time to cash in on the Rajini mania. It is all Rajini Maya,'' says Rekha Menon, film critic and a corporate communications professional.
While a star hotel in Chennai is preparing a Kabali menu, Cadbury’s Five Star has decided to do a kuch meetha ho jaaye with the Superstar.
20th Century Fox has done the ultimate, by rolling out a tribute to Thalaivar from the Ice Age team.
And fans are doing Kabali versions with football stars Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Rajinikanth clearly scores big on this field as well.
For years, Kamal Haasan also did not endorse any brand before succumbing to the temptation last year with Pothys, a chain of textile showrooms in south India.
But Rajinikanth has continued to say “No, Thank you”. In contrast, his Bollywood contemporary Amitabh Bachchan is a brand's delight. He has endorsed several brands and is the brand ambassador of quite a number of projects, including Swachh Bharat.
Rajinikanth could join Bachchan at least on the Swachh Bharat campaign if he agrees to Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's request on Twitter to be Puducherry's brand ambassador.
Perhaps like his character in Kabali, Rajinikanth might just say Maghizchi (happiness).
