Outreach of Indian celebrities has increased. Find out how

Talent management was an unknown terminology till mid-2000, an alien concept for the celebrities and film fraternity in India. The genesis of professional representation stemmed from an inherent need to be in sync with the business evolution of our country in the other industries.

The more our nation accepted and got exposed to the international business practices in varied sectors, more was the need for the mega stars of our country to explore newer ways of reaping benefits from their stardom.

Earlier, the reach of the movie stars was limited to cinemas, television, radio channels and now internet has played a massive role in making them household names. People are now more aware of them, and the credibility of the stars got an upsurge which resulted in a huge value creation for the artists.

Progression set in and revenue models of all kinds started becoming established by endorsing a brand, appearing at a launch of a new product, anchoring television shows, performing at award ceremonies, etc.

The next level was the structuring of deals, as it happens with any business, when the quantum increases. The commercials are re-looked at from not just a retail point of view but also value creation over the long term.

Today, representation for all talent is a norm - not just restricted to actors but also directors, writers, singers. Social media influencers have companies working round-the-clock managing their calendars, strategizing image management, creating new revenue models.

Business transactions around celebrities have imploded in a way, country has never experienced. An actor of such high caliber like Hrithik Roshan in partnership with his agency has created a brand HRX whose ideology is based on the spirit he encompasses 'Push Your Extreme'.

The country’s arguably biggest superstar Salman Khan known for his humanitarian efforts has established a brand ‘Being Human’, a social enterprise of immense repute. The king of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan has a business empire; he owns a production house, vfx facility, cricket league team in India and abroad, kids entertainment zone.

Celebrities own football teams, do equity deals with the dotcom companies, fully engage with their fan base via the digital medium.

The more complex becomes the business environment, more will be the need for the talent agencies to be more structured in their approach to not only protect their talent, also, to maximize the potential of the talents talent.

(The article is authored by Afsar Zaidi, founder of Exceed Entertainment, India’s multi-platform talent management company)

(Image: Indiatimes)