Bhay trailer launch: PR Agency Moe’s Art hits record low, gags senior-most journalist

Bhay trailer launch: PR Agency Moe’s Art hits record low, gags senior-most journalist

As a journalist writing about various media events and reviewing content, I am usually contacted by PR agencies via WhatsApp, when something is coming up. Some of them even send WhatsApp reminders, or even call me, to confirm my attendance. Not all journalists are favoured by all agencies. Some are boycotted and never invited, obviously because they do not agree to play ball or get manipulated, and, perhaps, as the grapevine goes, refuse to sell their souls. Luckily, I have never been approached with a ‘proposition’, but there are a few PR agencies who do not invite me, for reasons unknown, and kept as tight secrets. Be my guests. I only go when I am invited. And I always write about the events I attend. It is rumoured that not all media-persons attending events write about them.

At 95% of events, the media is provided with some snacks and drinks. YashRaj Films lays out a full lunch buffet. Some others also extend the invitation to include dinner, or snack boxes. One of the smallest agencies that always invites me, which would be a fraction of Moe’s Art in terms of financials, makes it a point to serve us a boxful of snacks, along with tea/coffee. After all, many media-persons spend up to seven hours, travelling to and fro, and attending the event/film show, which may last for up to three hours, and may start up to 150 minutes late.     

It is common courtesy to offer refreshments at such events, and downright mean not to do so. The quantity or quality of the menu might vary, and that too reflects on the regard the agency has for media-persons. Media budgets for films, TV, OTT and related events, these days, are, in tens of crores. Any sane agency should not “save” a few thousand rupees, by denying the media these little necessities that kill hunger pangs. Anybody attending an event is more likely to engage with it if he/she does not have to go hungry. But…surprise, surprise, sometimes, they do have to go hungry. A small minority of PR agencies, on occasions, either do not arrange for any eatables, or do not stock enough to cater to the numbers that attend, and some have to grin and bear it. I have had the occasion of attending two such events, organised by the agency Moe’s Art. Once before, a couple of years ago, I guess, from memory, and once below, yesterday.

For the launch of the trailer of the film Bhay: The Gaurav Tiwari Mystery, produced by Amazon MX, they chose the picturesque Band Stand Amphitheatre, Bandra, as the venue, and 6 pm as the time. Since I live close by, I managed to leave at 5.30 pm and reach by 6 sharp. The venue was practically empty. I was greeted with ear-shattering, ominous, eerie music, that played on and on, and was heard as loudly, wherever you chose to sit. From 6.45 to 7.15, a compère, who called himself an entertainer, kept adjusting his microphone sound levels and filters, telling the sound team to raise or lower the treble, bass and mid frequencies, time and again. He also kept telling the audience that the show would start in “a few minutes”, every five minutes, for half-an-hour. It started, at 7.15 pm and ended at 8.30 pm. Bad, but I have had much longer waits at some other events.

Bhay, directed by Robbie (sometimes spelt Robby) Grewal, a man who believes in ghosts and had met Gaurav, stars Karan Tacker, Jennifer K Preston, Kalki Koechlin, Mansi Chawla, Saloni Batra, Priyankka Beia, Ed Robinson and Nimisha Nair. Kalki could not be present, so she sent a video message, apparently shot on a flight. And she did a good job of it. It was screened before the trailer. Robbie’s credits include Romeo Akbar Walter, MP3: Mera Pehla Pyaar and Samay: When Time Strikes. It is written by Arshad Syed and the DOP is Adiyta Kapur, the ‘baby’ of the team, so-called because of his very young age. Any horror or Para-Normal story needs a very talented cinematographer, to create the right light and shade, zooms and wide-angles, trolley shots, crane shots, drone and hand-held shots, etc. Grewal insisted on calling him on stage, though he was rather shy and reluctant. Cinematography constitutes about half the visual effects in a para-normal film, so he should be up there. Also on stage was Ms. Daryanani, representing Amazon MX. Her surname was apt for the occasion, which was staged a few metres from the darya, i. e., the Arabian Sea. 

After the team of this OTT Para-Normal series was assembled on stage, Robbie asked three members of the IPS to join them, because, after all, the series is based on true events, as encountered by the IPS members, and their charismatic leader, Gaurav Tiwari, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 32. A few questions were then posed to them by the compère. The trailer was then screened, twice, in succession (that is normal). It was as interesting as any other trailer, except for the ghostly cuts. I could notice only one senior media-person mong the 100 strong audience, which had a lot of urchins and young boys seated sat the back. The audience was goaded to applaud, time and again, by the compère, who reminded them to let the oxygen levels in their lungs rise. That is the usual brief given to the compère, so we cannot blame the anchor for this over-indulgence. Was it the media that put its hands together, every five minutes? Is that what they are expected to do? Or were there ‘fans’, acting on cue? Yes, there is a such a phenomenon in operation in the 21^st century.

Gaurav Tiwari was the CEO and lead investigator for the Indian Paranormal Society (IPS), exploring hauntings, UFOs, and “possessions”, using scientific tools. He featured in shows like Bhoot Aaya, Fear Files, and Haunted Weekends, with Sunny Leone. Tiwari was found dead in his Delhi apartment, on July 7, 2016. The Delhi Police ruled it a suicide by asphyxiation (hanging/strangling), noting family unhappiness with his erratic schedules and low income from para-normal work. In the trailer, Kalki Koechlin is heard saying that the bathroom, where he was found dead, had nothing to hang by. So, does the film take a stand on whether his death was natural or unnatural, whether it conforms to the police theory, or not, only time will tell. But the making of a ‘based on real events’ Ghostbusters’ story is a first in India. Just to put you at ease, the IPS believes that of all para-normal incidents reported to them and investigated by them, 95% are psychological in nature and only 5% have para-normal possibilities. Bhay starts streaming on December 12 and viewing is free, on the MX platform.

After the trailer, there was a Q and A. I was the first person to raise my hand, but the mike kept going from person to person, without reaching me. When the guests on stage asked the PR team to give me the mike, they refused. The series team then suggested I speak without a microphone. Being a stage actor and Voice Trainer, I could project my voice and do that easily. I was halfway through my question, when a Moe’s Art girl came near me and whispered in my ear that I would not be allowed to ask any questions at that time, but that she would get back to me after all the questions were over. Unbelievable, ridiculous and stupid! She came again, a while later, and asked me to tell her what my question was? So that she could censor it? I refused. She did not come back till the Q and A was declared over, which also marked the end of the proceedings for the evening. Ms Gagger/Muter/Stifler never came back. This was a first in my 56-year career as a media journalist. The senior-most media-person attending the event was stifled, gagged and muted by Moe’s Art? Why? What danger did I pose?

The answer is not hard to find. Just as the applauders were planted to “breathe oxygen”, the media-persons who were asking questions were vetted and planted. Moe’s Art could not risk a journalist asking a question that might possibly be unpalatable to the ‘dignitaries on the dais’, though my question did not have any such colour. But it could! So, why take a chance? I sent a message to Prernaa, of Moe’s Art, who had invited me, and reminded me about the event (after I was already seated on the steps). She did not respond. I then called her, with the same result. As the event wound-up, I headed towards the exit. On the way, I saw a stack of mini water bottles placed in one corner. At another point, close-by, there were two beverage dispensers and some paper cups, surrounded by about 20 persons, none of who was a journalist, for sure. And nothing was happening. Nothing was being served and nobody was drinking or eating anything. Perhaps the contents of the dispensers were empty, and refills were awaited. Perhaps there would be no refills. No Moe’s Art personnel were spotted anywhere near the place.

Prernaa called back, and met me five minutes later, at the exit. She was unaware of what had transpired in front of the stage, because she was working backstage, she said. However, she insisted that arrangements had been made to serve tea, coffee, biscuits and cookies to the audience. I had not seen any biscuits and cookies, and neither were the beverages dispensers functional. Moreover, they were placed at a spot that could not be seen when a crowd gathered there. Prernaa said that the topography of the place posed a problem, and so the dispensers were located where they were. This was a desperate attempt at cover-up. Any layman could have placed the dispensers and eats at better and marked, prominent locations, and at more than one location. Moreover, the media should have been guided to the locations. But that was expecting too much from Moe’s Art. When told that I would be highlighting the incidents of the day in my report, she said that she would give feedback to her bosses, and try to see that such incidents did not recur. Her defence was appreciated, though it could not undo what had transpired.

Outside the Amphitheatre, the cast, led by Karan Tacker (who plays Gaurav Tiwari) and director Robbie Grewal, apologised for the Q and A incident. I told Karan that it was not his fault, and that I would mention his name in the report, without any blame. He requested that I get the spelling of his surname right. I hope I did. A female member of the cast asked for my card, after I gave one each to Karan and Robbie. I forget her name. She was dusky and sweet.

So, is Moe’s Art living up to its symphonic name, or striking a note of discord that would make Mozart (the subject of the punny name of the company) turn in his grave? Is this treatment of media justified? Is penny pinching the best way to make media comfortable? You decide. PR is the art of winning publics over (the term ‘publics’ would be familiar to anyone who has studied PR). But it seems that M/s Sen and Shah have got their basics wrong. The media never asks for or demands anything. It comes unprepared for what would be offered or not. Nobody wants a 5-star cocktail buffet, but there surely can be better choice of menu. Did M/s Sen and Shah go to the right PR schools? Were they students of mine during my 10-year PR lecturing career? I seriously doubt. Are they practicing the same hospitality standards that media PROs of the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s did? Certainly not. They are way below the mark. Is it because they are cash-strapped? Again, you decide, after reading their profile, below.

Moe’s Art Private Limited is a Private company, incorporated on 10 December 2012. Directors of Moe’s Art Private Limited are Mayank Ramesh Sen, and Vishaal Mahendra Shah, who have held these positions since 01-10-2012. Its registered address is Unit No 101, First Floor, Unique Centre 15, Waterfield Road, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India – 400050. Saurabh Rathore was a director, till 01-11-2016.

On the Internet, the company describes itself thus:

Moe’s Art is a creative-first communication company that specialises in providing strategic communication and storytelling solutions through a comprehensive suite of services. Leveraging the power of PR, digital and social media, we develop data-driven strategies to strengthen brand equity and influence consumer perceptions. Our influencer marketing initiatives enable brands to connect with relevant influencers, expanding their reach and fostering authentic brand engagement. Additionally, we cultivate community relations to build enduring connections with audiences.

Moe’s Art was established in late 2007 as a PR agency, which has now evolved into a fully integrated marketing and media agency. It offers services ranging from Public Relations, Content Creation, Media Auditing, Social Media Management, Online Marketing and Advertising. The agency has offices in Mumbai and Delhi, in addition to a network of associates, covering the length and breadth of India across tier I, II and III markets.

Moe’s Art has a rich and diverse experience of managing clients across industries like advertising & marketing, media, FMCG, finance, real estate, lifestyle and more.

We manage the conceptualisation, creation and execution of public relations programme for clients. We help build brands, and share their stories with the right audiences in the most meaningful and effective ways.

Our main strength is strategic content development. We support the PR goals by providing an efficient content solution program. Undertake development of content for external as well as internal communication. We do content for blogs, newsletter, magazines etc.

To establish personal relationship with your customers/clients, we mange online propagation of your brand, along with building a targeted online marketing campaign.

Moe’s Art works as a fully integrated creative shop with capabilities ranging from copywriting, designing to animation, production and making TVCs.

Clients of the agency include Parle Products, Videocon Industries, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd., Zapak.com, BIGFLIX.com, Jump Games, Infiniti Mall (Part of K Raheja Construction Group), RAK Ceramics, Motion Pictures Association of America, Vardhman Group, Ffreedom Financial Planners, Buzzcity, Cell18, P9 Integrated (Part of Percept Group), Konark Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Spatial Access, YourNest Angel Fund etc. They forgot to mention Universal Pictures and Amazon MX Player.

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How about including the following STATUTORY WARNINGS in invitations sent by all PR Agencies to the media, instead of taking them for granted?

1. You are cordially invited to
2. The scheduled time is     am/     pm, but the start of the event may be delayed up to 150 minutes. This is usually caused by the late arrival of the cast and crew, and VIPs, and the PR agency has no control over it. You are expected to wait patiently, till the event begins
3. You will be served nothing/water/beverages/beverages and biscuits-cookies/ beverages and snacks/snacks/popcorn/samosas/sandwiches/Hi-Tea/lunch/dinner. (Strike off whatever is inapplicable).

You will not be allowed to bring or consume your own eatables or potables. This might be objectionable to the cinema authorities and might set a bad precedent too.

4. There will be no Q and A/You will not be allowed to ask any questions during the Q and A.
5. If you try to ask questions, without the PR agency’s permission, you will be physically prevented. If you have got hold of the travelling cordless microphone, it will be taken away, and if you try to speak without a microphone, our staff will ask (read ‘order’) you to stop, while passing the microphone to someone else, a person of their choice.
6. If you are still insistent on asking a question, please approach the PR Agency staff and tell them what you propose to ask. It is then up to the PR Agency to allow you to ask the question or not, or when to allow you.
7.  
7. The PR Agency staff do not wear any uniform or identification, so you will have to keep guessing who could be from the PR Agency.

I am sure the invited media-persons will be very happy to receive such invitations, and come prepared for the experience, instead of being disappointed after their arrival.