BRAND BADSHAH

First it was Chote Miyan Govinda who drew our attention to it, now it's Bade Miyan Amitabh Bachchan's turn to extol the soothing effects of Navratna hair oil. In the ad, the superstar is shown in various situations of stress from his famous films all of which we are told can be banished by the wonder oil. This is but one of the megastar's endorsements. Amitabh's track record gives an altogether new meaning to multitasking. Witness the ease with which he sells a plethora of brands and convincingly at that. If electronics is your passion, buy BPL,says Amitabh, and never be caught in anything less than Reid &Taylor suits. The famous Amitabh autograph is always signed using Parker pens, he moves around in a Maruti Versa derives his boundless energy from Dabur Chyavanprash, would live in a Sahara city home if he didn't have to be located in the heart of Mumbai to fulfill his shooting and endorsement commitments. Among them are Emami Boroplus, Hajomla digestives, Nerolac paint and Tide detergent.

To be fair to him, Amitabh does his share for the greater public good, pitching in for Pulse Polio, Unicef and people for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Is the Badshah of Brands stretching himself too thin? Sure, Amitabh can still draw them in. But, today he is in danger of diluting his brand equity. Amitabh has always been known for being credible and infinitely charming. Do we really want to see him prancing about peddling an unknown oil brand or do a cover-up job for chocolates which came under a cloud for possible contamination? Or a detergent a la Surf's famous Lalitaji? No, Amitabh is all about exclusivity, class and comportment. That is what he was best known for and admired all these years. Unlike other kiss-and-tell stars, he stayed away from media speculation. Whenever he did speak to the media, he rarely gave anything away. This is precisely what kept the public fascinated by his persona. He is the biggest brand Bollywood has ever produced. Don't lend it indiscriminately to the highest bidder. The Shahenshah can't behave like any old Amar, Akbar or Anthony.