67. The Two Religions you cannot ignore in India

Source: Youtube

You cannot avoid two things in India: Cricket and Bollywood. These two iconic forces are an intrinsic part of our everyday lives. Indians breathe these two aspects and often take part in these activities, either directly being part of them or by observing them. Often, the two are treated as a form of modern religion. The Gods of Cricket and the Gods of Bollywood are not unknown. These religions do not even need churches, mosques or temples for their propagation. Most often, these two religions are what binds the nation together and bring communities together. I don’t need to give examples here, I mean, India-Pakistan cricket matches?

India is a culturally diverse country. But when it comes to appreciating the skills of an Indian cricketer, it does not require an Indian to know any particular language. Imagine the power of this religion, that can hold the attention of an audience for seven hours at a stretch. Similarly, when it comes to Bollywood actors, it doesn’t matter if you are from the north Delhi or South Mumbai, you would still wait outside ‘mannat’ to catch one glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan.

The power of these two religions are been increasingly realized by Indian business. The gods of cricket and Bollywood are being used to change consumer behavior. This is not rocket science. Both religions have the power to invoke powerful emotions among the Indian audience and are considered as powerful weapons in the hands of the advertisers. In fact, Bollywood has a wide range of emotions: love, comedy, fantasy among many others. Brands can play around with themes to realize the potential of the two religions. Between the two, Bollywood is much more ingrained in our everyday lives. This is because the popularity of a cricket star depends on his success in the field. If the cricketer performed poorly at the match, Indians do not forgive them that easily. Bollywood stars, on the other hand, lasts beyond the release date.

Thus, these two religions of cricket and Bollywood are opportunities to reach an audience while at the same time aiding solus delivery.