We know actors can take on any role for the big screen, but we didn’t see this real-life role coming. The trend of celebrity investments has trickled its way down to India, and some company choices for investments are raising eyebrows everywhere. Bollywood stars and celebrities have been exploring investments in the technology space to diversify interests and use their reach in the film fraternity for entrepreneurial goals. With her recent investment in Epigamia, Deepika Padukone joints the elite club of celebrity investors in India, with the likes of Aamir Khan, Shillpa Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan among others.
Rohan Mirchandani, cofounder of Epigamia said that the massive appeal of the actress aligns with the health-conscious youth of India that the brand is hoping to reach. He said, “Our shared set of core values and beliefs is what drew us together and this bonding principle, along with Deepika’s involvement in our products and brand, will be extremely valuable for us.” Epigamia was launched in 2015 by Mirchandani , Uday Thakker, Ganesh Krishnamoorthy and Rahul Jain as a Greek Yoghurt brand and expanded its portfolio to include artisanal curd, snack packs, Indian sweets and smoothies.
With the start-up industry in India maturing, high profile investments from public personalities and Bollywood stars are inevitable. Consumer focused start-ups get more than just an investment from actors and stars; the halo effect for the brand from such celebrity involvement is often invaluable. Marketing agencies have cleverly been using stars as brand ambassadors to make sure that their brand remains on the minds of the audience which makes them more likely to want to purchase the product or service that is being marketed.
When asked “Why do you want to invest”, she replied, “One is the risk factor. One is the excitement factor. From my perspective, it’s really about having more skin in the game and moving away from vanilla endorsements. The way I invest is exactly the way I would choose any of my film scripts: follow your gut. Whenever it’s a more collaborative process, whether it’s about business or the creative side of it, there’s a lot more involvement, which just makes it a lot more exciting.”
In this era, where social media has upended traditional marketing strategies, Bollywood stars are looking to India’s start-ups to drum up publicity and maximize their wealth. Along with multi-year advertisement contracts, celebrities are striking endorsement deals in exchange for equity that officers both publicity and potential future profits.
So, which Deepika do you like better – the one on the screen or the one in real?
