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ciNemaSocial NetworkiNgredefiNedAs social networking becomes a viable platform for Bollywood celebrities toconnect with their audience, Radhika Bhirani tries to find out how directors andactors are redefining its role in promoting deeper audience engagementthey chat, tweet and share pictures to connect withtheir fans, but there is more to the social networkingof Bollywood celebrities — promoting businessthrough much deeper collaboration.Today, filmmakers and actors are takingto websites like Facebook and Twitter,not just to take the pulse ofviewers, but also actively involvethem in their projects.From directors PrakashJha, Mahesh Bhatt andShirish Kunder tomegastar AmitabhBachchan — allhave been usingthe social networkingmedium to take suggestions for titles, postersand marketing plans from viewers.Onir, the director of Hindi feature films like Sorry Bhai(2008) and Bas Ek Pal (2006), has gone a step ahead byinviting netizens to fund his project I Am. The result:Beyond marketing and publicity, Facebook and Twitterhelped him raise a third of the funds for his Rs.3 crore movie.“The interaction with the audience through social networkingmediums has helped, but to get them involvedeven deeper, I think it is a wonderful vehicle to tell people...‘I made this film for you. Now can you guide me whereI am going wrong before I actually put it out in theatres’.I think it is quite masterly to involve the people... it’s democraticallycorrect!” says Amitabh.Much before the release of his recent filmBbuddah...Hoga Tera Baap, the 68-year-old took to his blogbigb.bigadda.com seeking help from his “extended family”to market the movie and put his fans in touch with co-producers,Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, to facilitate their ideas.When Prakash Jha and Mahesh Bhatt were in a dilemmawhile choosing the posters for their respective filmsAarakshan and Murder 2, they turned to networking sitesto take the final word from viewers.“There was a disagreement between me and Mohit Surion the main poster of the film. We thought the best wayout is to show all the posters to the people and let themselect one. Mohit and I’ll blindly go ahead with the people’sopinion,” says Bhatt, adding: “At the end of the day, postersare for the people; so let them tell us which one is the bestposter of the lot.”Bhatt had also turned to the social networking siteTwitter to hunt for a title for his new film, which was tentativelycalled Jannat 2. “I am looking for an attractive titlefor my new film staring Kunal Khemu and Amrita Puri.HELP!” Mahesh wrote on Twitter.As suggestions poured in from his followers on Twitter,he zeroed in on Blood Money as the title of his next film.“BLOOD MONEY is the title for our Kunal Khemu and AmritaPuri film which is directed by a brilliant new director40 Pravasi Bharatiya July 2011