Twitteratis applaud controversial Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

The controversial Nazwazuddin Siddiqui and Bidita Bag starrer, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz which released on August 25, has apparently already made a business of Rs 7.51 crore in the opening weekend and is a HIT at the Box office.

The film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz was made with a budget of Rs 3 crore and it had to overcome a lot of hurdles. Right from the Censor Board demanding 48 cuts to the movie being leaked online, one day before its release, it faced a lot of tough time.

On Monday, actor Nawazuddin took to Twitter to thank the audience for making a small budget film a hit. #BabumoshaiProfitbaaz is trending on Twitter and a lot of celebrities like Nana Patekar, Johny Lever, Vikas Khanna and other influencers are using the hashtag to spread their appreciation for the movie and congratulating the team for its success.

Social Samosa takes a look at some of the controversies which the movie encountered and their online marketing strategies which helped to stay in the news.

Controversies:

Earlier this month, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) raised objections to the cuss words and some objectionable scenes in the film In spite of getting an ‘A’ certificate, the board demanded 48 cuts to the movie. The entire team of the film then immediately called for a press conference to raise objections to CBFC’s diktat. The movie was then passed with eight minor cuts.

Nawazuddin’s intimate scenes with Bidita also created quite a stir in the media; in fact, the actress had replaced Chitrangada Singh after the latter left the shooting mid-way citing discomfort shooting steamy scenes with the actor.

Below are some of the online marketing efforts of the film, which included partnering with content platforms to salvage itself from the crisis.

Trailer launch:

The first trailer of the movie which was launched in July this year created a lot of curiosity and buzz among the audience. People were praising Nawazuddin and got reminded of his mind blowing performance in Gangs of Wasseypur. The trailer has clocked 9.7 million views on YouTube till now.

Tie-ups with content platforms:

Being Indian:

Being Indian created a hilarious video with Nawazuddin and showed the audience what happens when he takes over the Being Indian office as Babumoshai. The 6-minute video has got around 5 lakh views on YouTube.

Blush:

Blush in association with Culture Machine created a video titled 'Ajab Gaaliyan' starring Nawazuddin. The actor lists out the A to Z of non-sexist cuss words that are sexism free. It has clocked around 4 lakh views on YouTube.

Shudh Desi Endings:

Shudh Desi Endings also released a 8 minute long video where they showed Nawazuddin meeting Jack Shukla and he wants to know the secret of becoming an internet sensation.

RVCJ Media:

The online channel RVCJ Media released a video titled 'Dark & Lovely' which is a satirical take on our obsession for fairness.

Arre:

Arre launched a video online starring Nawazuddin to launch the GundApp, which allows one to order your Gunda right now.

BookMyTV:

The channel created two videos, in one Nawazuddin gives Suhagraat tips in a hilarious manner and in the other one, the actor is at his funniest best, as he recreates some of the famous female dialogues in Bollywood.

Quint:

Nawazuddin Siddique appeared in Quint's online video and spoke about how the film industry should break the stereotypical hero falling in love with heroine story-telling and move to more character based films. He also spoke about racism that exists in our society and how our stars are promoting it rather than discouraging it.

It is quite refreshing to see a small budget movie like Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, sans a Khan doing well at the Box office and overcoming their crisis time with the right online marketing strategy. To add to it, this Friday also saw 9 movies releasing at the theatres, so the fight was surely a tough one.

What do you think about the social chatter around Babumoshai Bandookbaaz ? Share your thoughts in comments below or write to us at team@socialsamosa.com