“Being an influencer with followers with a very popular page, helping them promote the movies, the OTT, and the brands… we are now important,” Manglani said.
Indian movies released in theatres raked in an “all-time high” of $1.4 billion in box office revenue in 2023, according to consulting firm EY.
But competition is fierce.
Mandvi Sharma, a former publicist for mega-star Shah Rukh Khan, said the two sides can be “co-dependent”, especially for younger actors hoping photographers can boost their fame.
“Things have changed”, said Viral Bhayani, a photographer with over 12 million Instagram followers, recalling how a decade ago he would have to “beg” for information about organised media events.
It’s been quite a shift, “from being thrown out of places… to now being called everywhere”, he said.
Bollywood also faces rising challenges from other Indian-language film centres. Of the country’s 1,796 cinema releases last year, just 218 were Bollywood’s traditional fare of Hindi-language movies, said EY.
‘Need us’
