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SRK's Chennai media boycott: Ex-publicist reveals truth
15 Feb
Summary
- Chennai journalists boycotted SRK's event due to a 3.5-hour delay.
- A local coordinator's mix-up and language barrier caused the incident.
- Media found a boycott story more compelling than celebrity interviews.
In 2014, journalists in Chennai boycotted an event intended to promote Shah Rukh Khan's film 'Happy New Year'. The incident occurred because the media was kept waiting for three and a half hours, with the superstar arriving significantly late. Mandavi Sharma, who was SRK's publicist at the time, detailed the event on 'The Filmy Hustle'.
Sharma attributed the boycott to a "massive mix-up by the local coordinator" and a language barrier between local organizers and the media. The journalists chose to boycott the entire promotional event, deeming the boycott itself a more compelling news story than any interview or promotional material SRK could have provided.
Sharma later explained to the journalists that the boycott made for "better news" in an era before the dominance of social media platforms like Instagram. She noted how the current media landscape, driven by short-form content, further amplifies such situations, turning brief moments into sensationalized narratives.
