PR consultant Prashant Goelcha is a firebrand when it comes to words, and it’s his brutal honesty that sets him apart from the others in business. His name has been associated with a diverse client list, including actors like Anuj Saxena, Simmi Grewal, Somy Ali, Arjun Bijlani, Arjan Bajwa, and Rajniesh Duggall, and producers like Rajan Shahi, Rahul Kumar Tewary, Prateek Sharma, and Sanjay and Binaiferr Kohli, among others.
In a quick chat, Prashant Golecha talks about his work, his ambitions, and his clients. Excerpts…
Q1. What have your experiences in PR been?
Prashant Goelcha. The PR field is like an ocean. But it is a very serious profession, and everyone can’t excel in it. However, mediocre PRs are a reality too. These days everyone thinks PR is very easy and it is just passing time with actors. But PR is very specialized work, and everyone doesn’t have the competency and experience. The perspective needs to be upgraded from time to time. I know everything doesn’t work, and even I am still learning new things regularly.
We have handled a wide variety of clients. I have seen some actors who had a lot of gratitude; at the same time, there were actors who were thankless despite our excellent work. Then there were actors who left us and came back again. I believe promptness and availability as a PR professional matter, and that’s what makes the client trust us more.
We are living in the social media world, but we need to understand that social media is for us, and we are not for social media. Many celebs feel that just maintaining a visibility on social media is enough, which isn’t true. Things like making their personal life public and asking for paparazzi spotting have almost become obsessions for a lot of them. It’s a mirage that everyone often gets deluded by and feels they are relevant even after knowing it’s a paid insertion.
I have realised some actors have understood that spotting is not relevant for their persona and putting everything on Instagram reduces exclusivity. Everyone is doing it under the pressure, thinking they should also do it because everyone else is doing it. The craze for Instagram verification has faded. My Instagram handle isn’t verified, and it surely doesn’t define my capability as a PR professional.
Q2. If you display everything on Instagram, why will people watch you on TV or on the big screen?
Prashant Goelcha. Spotting is in demand, but at the same time most of us are making fun of the lower range of publicity-obsessed celebs who are desperate. And the irony is that they are being applauded with likes.
Coming back to my business, I have realised that only those who are meant to be associated with us reach us. Everyone can’t be our client. There is a certain vibe, humanness, sincerity, and goodness that should match. We are thorough professionals and genuinely work hard.
Q3. What are the current trends in PR?
Prashant Goelcha. Jo Dikhta Hai Voh Bikta Hai. But these days actors/celebs and some PR are using any means for publicity. But it’s their choice. There are enough takers for everything. There are few celebs that are really concerned about who represents them; at the same time, there are plenty of actors to whom it doesn’t matter because the only thing that matters is koi bhi PR chalega, and sasta hai toh chalta hai, because in their head they think they are stars. Just social media or Instagram isn’t enough for PR. PR includes print, video, and websites, along with social media presence. Less is more sometimes. There is a difference between publicity and PR. Exclusivity is important. The right vibe has to come overall in everything.
Q4. What do you have to say to people who want to hire your services?
Prashant Goelcha. We are good humans, and that matters a lot. Publicity toh koi bhi PR agency kar degi, but the style of functioning matters. Maine Pyar Kiya ka ek dialogue tha dekhte hi lage that’s my friend. That should be kept in mind as it is personal PR. The right guidance by the right team has contributed to the careers of most celebs, and success may come without a team too but won’t be sustained. A good PR team brings in a lot of stability. We are an honest, transparent team and are straightforward. Personal emotional and mental energy is involved in personal PR. When you hire an expert, let the expert do the work. Giving your opinion or viewpoint or having a perspective is fine, but living in an illusion or a bubble doesn’t help. Trust is very important. If you trust your PR, it can fetch outstanding results. Value professionals. A PR is not a yes man; if your existing PR is a yes man, then you should really consider changing your PR.
Q5. What do you have to say about competition?
Prashant Goelcha. Competition is a reality, but everyone can co-exist. There is a space for everyone. Everyone can’t be yours, and you can’t be for everyone. Jisko Jo Jame uske saath Jude. We follow our own path. Waqt Se pehle aur Qismat se Jyada Kissi Ko Na Mila Hai Na Milega. The celebs who are meant to be part of your life will become one, and the rest will never be able to connect. I do believe in Karma. Karma works here and now.
If a client of ours goes to another lesser-known PR, it signifies their character, not our efficiency. To some actors any PR works. Paisa bachane ka attitude sabka hota hai; after all, we all are middle class. But quality and consistency matter. What we offer you just can’t get anywhere else, we are so sure of our work and vibes.
PR is a major component of your career, and the right team can make a big impact on your career. Simplicity and honesty will rule and win eventually. Fake can’t sustain forever. The glittery cheap stuff definitely attracts the outside attention, but it is not durable. The real professionals like us are winners and will be winners in the long run, as we never make fake promises, we don’t cheat, and we are honest and hardworking.
Like-minded people bond together. We are good, and we attract only such folks with whom our associations run long. Celebs who don’t stay with us are like jumping balls, aaj yaha, kal waha, phir parso kahin aur. Stable people stay with us, as money isn’t the criterion; the professionalism, personalised attention, and service, keeping in mind the market scenario, matter. We are neither fools nor cheats, and we do not manipulate our clients. We are straightforward, and that matters to all the celebs who are associated. If we were arrogant, why would we have long-term actors with us? Kuch Toh Khaas milta hoga hamare pass that most actors associated with us never go anywhere else. A few did leave us, and believe me, it’s their loss, and they didn’t deserve us because we are not just a PR; we are solution providers.
I truly have the right bunch of individuals in my team who bring the right vibe and positivity for one to feel good about one’s career and get the right guidance besides the right publicity and imaging. There is a difference between knowing your self-worth and arrogance. I don’t care about what lesser-known PRs are doing. My simple logic is, does Yash Raj keep wondering what smaller production houses are doing? I focus on what I have and how we can improvise our PR services. In some things even smaller PRs can be better than us, but in the long run we give what no other PR agency gives. We are prompt and available 24*7. Work is our oxygen. You have to take our PR services once in a lifetime. We are a different flavor, and you have to experience being with us.
Q6. Do actors ask for your personal time or want to hang around with you?
Prashant Goelcha. Meeting people is part of my work. But I am not the one who likes to just hang around or party. I mind my own business. I have no interest in becoming friends beyond work. I don’t believe in personal friendships. My world is my world. I have numerous acquaintances and, yes, a few close acquaintances, but I don’t have the habit of making friends. I do socialize, but very rarely. I learned quite early in life that you are known by the company you keep, and I don’t have any company. Even for films, I go alone. I enjoy my own company. I do like to meet intelligent people who like to have intelligent conversations about life, emotions, movies, and spiritualism. I don’t mind drinking coffee with special people, but mostly the coffee is made by me.
Q7. Who are your special clients?
Prashant Goelcha. S, R and A alphabet clients are special. Naam lene ki jaroorat nahi. Jo special hai unko pata hai woh kitne special hai. My life is an open book but it depends on me how many pages I want you to read. Minding your own business is the best way to live. If speech is silver, silence is golden.
Q8. What are your ambitions now?
Prashant Goelcha. My perspective on life and career has changed. My priorities at this stage of my career are different. Jo Prapt Hai Pryapt Hai. Celebs who are meant to find us will find us. It is within my capacity to consistently work hard. We are the best in the business. Someone had asked once why we take smaller actors/personalities, and my answer was we make a difference to the careers of people who rise with value, and anyone can become big. We make a difference to newcomers’ careers and even established ones. We take actors, astrologers, healers, and even lifestyle clients. I feel it is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice. I am living one day at a time, giving my best, encouraging my team, motivating our clients, and being a good human in general.
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