Though
Karan
Johar's
confidence
level
speaks
volumes
about
the
final
product
that
the
team
of
My
Name
Is
Khan
has
in
hands,
there
is
a
strong
observation
that
the
promotional
strategy
execution
so
far
is
relatively
low
key.
This
sounds
surprising
because
typically
for
any
major
film,
whether
it
is
a
Karan
Johar-Shahrukh
Khan
film
or
any
other
big
film
for
that
matter,
there
is
always
some
on-your-face
publicity
that
happens
for
weeks
at
stretch,
if
not
months.
This
is
why
can't
help
but
question
Karan
whether
it
has
been
a
conscious
call
by
his
marketing
and
promotional
team
to
keep
things
low
for
MNIK?
"Not
really",
promptly
replies
Karan,
"We
haven't
consciously
decided
to
do
any
such
thing.
On
the
contrary
I
have
done
maximum
marketing
for
this
film
when
compared
to
my
two
films
like
Kabhi
Alvida
Naa
Kehna
or
Kabhi
Khushi
Kabhie
Gham.
The
whole
idea
is
to
keep
things
sensible
than
let
them
go
way
beyond
a
prescribed
and
self
controlled
limit."
Commenting
on
the
'herd
mentality'
(in
his
own
words)
of
many
a
filmmaker
who
has
gone
overboard
with
the
marketing
and
promotion
of
their
films
in
the
recent
past,
Karan
wishes
to
stay
away
from
over-marketing.
"What
does
it
all
add
to
eventually",
he
questions,
"The
entire
window
of
marketing
has
changed
today.
Earlier,
it
was
as
simple
as
TV
promos,
followed
by
interviews
and
voila,
your
film
is
right
there
in
theatres
for
people
to
watch.
But
today,
so
much
seems
to
be
happening
for
every
other
film."
Reflecting
on
the
state
of
affairs,
Karan
goes
on
to
challenge
excessive
marketing
for
a
film.
"My
question
is
why?
Is
that
really
required
when
the
window
of
marketing
is
changing
for
so
many
movies?
Today,
best
awareness
is
created
in
the
last
2-3
weeks
of
the
film's
promotion.
Just
because
the
world
out
there
is
probably
doing
something
like
that
for
2-3
months
instead,
I
should
not
be
blindly
following
them,
right?"
Meanwhile
he
also
has
his
own
take
on
affairs
when
it
comes
to
added
hype
and
buzz
around
the
film.
Karan
Johar
"When
you
have
actors
like
Shahrukh
Khan
and
Kajol
working
in
your
film,
you
automatically
gain
so
much
from
the
awareness
front
because
audience
out
there
knows
the
worth
of
these
actors.
Also,
given
their
track
record
and
popularity
that
they
have
gained
over
the
years,
you
are
not
required
to
show
any
desperation
as
a
filmmaker
to
gain
any
added
attention.
After
all
audience
is
aware
about
the
people
associated
with
the
film
and
how
this
team
has
delivered
in
the
past.
These
are
the
very
factors
that
make
me
comfortable
about
the
box
office
reception
to
MNIK",
says
Karan.
Well,
with
just
a
week
to
go
for
the
film's
release,
it
isn't
going
to
be
a
really
long
wait
to
see
what
My
Name
Is
Khan
eventually
goes
on
to
say.
The
answer
would
be
loud
and
clear
on
whether
a
controlled
promotional
strategy
worked
for
the
film,
if
the
love
story
indeed
turned
out
to
be
the
most
integral
part
of
the
film's
narrative
and
last
but
certainly
not
the
least,
whether
the
film
actually
delivered
what
it
promised?
After
all
with
such
reputed
names
involved,
My
Name
Is
Khan
hardly
has
any
room
for
errors
and
who
other
than
Karan
is
a
best
judge
for
that.
Story first published: Friday, February 5, 2010, 14:12 [IST]