Credit or clout? Stree 2 success reveals how PR tactics and paparazzi influence film credit controversies

Also read: Stree 2 box office collection day 12: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor film inches close to ₹400 crore

Weighing in on the credit battle, Stree 2 writer Niren Bhatt adds, “I am aware about this credit thing, and some narratives are formed by fan clubs. Eventually everyone knows it’s a piece of art. You just talk about people you see on screen, but there are people working behind the scenes—production designer, writer, director, VFX, background music, composers like Sachin-Jigar… there are a lot of people behind the success. Without them, a film would never be successful.” He further says, “Incidentally, Angry Young Men, the docuseries on Salim-Javed has released right now and it shows the clout writers used to have. Things will change for the better.”

Previously, actor Aparshakti Khurana had told Zoom in an interview, “See, this is a PR game. If you go and ask the audiences on the street, are they saying this? I want to know that.”

This pattern was also observed by many 2019, where the credit battle involved Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon for Luka Chuppi. Sanon had said in a media interaction, “This business of overlooking the leading lady has been going on for a while and it’s so unfair… It’s logical to talk about only the male protagonist when the leading lady doesn’t have a lot to do, but when they are both carrying a film on their shoulders, the credit should be equally shared.”

Taapsee Pannu had also reacted to claims that Badla was solely Amitabh Bachchan’s film. She had tweeted, “Mehnat shayad inn filmon ki ladkiyon ne bhi utni hi kari hai…”

But this quest for recognition is nothing new in the film industry. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh recalls early instances from his career, noting, “Who gets the credit for Sholay’s iconic success? Back then, there were camps, one of which, after it became a hit started saying ‘Dharmendra should get all the credit’, forgetting there’s Amitabh Bachchan in it as well. The same happened with Amar Akbar Anthony. People started saying ‘it’s a hit because of Anthony’—but Vinod Khanna, who played Amar, was an equally big star! And who can forget director, Manmohan Desai? Nobody else is responsible for Stree 2’s success than the director and producer.”

The PR Machine

The role of public relations (PR) in these credit battles cannot be ignored. A senior PR professional, speaking on condition of anonymity, notes, “We saw what happened with this big film last year, in which a young female actor with a small role, went all out and did massive paid PR to get credit equal to the film’s lead female actor. Stree is a franchise, and the credit goes to the makers. It has happened a lot in the past—so many actors try to get credit for a film’s success. Another young male actor is notorious for doing it. His recent film didn’t work as expected and his performance too hasn’t been praised much, but he has been on an aggressive paid PR spree as if it’s a masterpiece.”

Another PR professional observes, “Everything—from Reddit to Instagram—is full of paid PR. Actors and their teams are smart enough to know it’s important to stay relevant, and they will do anything for it. Stardom is manufactured today. I am sure some actors are scared by their respective PRs about others gaining more brand value, and they end up doing this. Ranveer Singh is doing the smart thing—he has gone completely off the radar for some time, and that will be in his favour.”

Also read: Shraddha Kapoor overtakes Priyanka Chopra to become second-most followed Indian star on Instagram

Paparazzi also play a role. Celebrity photographer Manav Manglani says, “Paid posts toh hote hi hain. Aaj kal PR hi aisa chal raha hai, kya karein? Promotion toh karna hi hai sabko. But the success of a film depends on the story and how engaging it is, actors can’t directly take credit. Forced PR hota hai toh public ko pata chal hi jaata hai.”

A trade analyst makes a bold claim on condition of anonymity, “In India, it is only Salman Khan and now Shah Rukh Khan on whose name alone the public goes to watch films, because even their flops earn hundreds of crores. Nobody else.”

As the debate continues, it remains clear that while the credit for a film’s success is often a contentious issue, the collective effort of all involved—both in front of and behind the camera—is crucial for a film’s triumph.