There is now breathless anticipation about the Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan starrer Diwali release, Thugs of Hindostan. First each of the characters in the film was introduced by way of motion posters and then we had the trailer drop. With the level of excitement surrounding the film, the police of Mumbai and Assam decided to send out their message in a rather filmy way.
The trailer sheds light on what we can expect from the film. The filmmakers have clarified that the movie is purely a figment of their own imagination; that it is not based on the 19th century novel by an Englishman as previously thought. Aamir Khan’s character appears to be that of a charming but untrustworthy mercenary, whereas Bachchan's character seems to be that of someone fighting against the might of an oppressive empire. The trailer has generated 45 million views and has been trending at no.1 on YouTube since its release a few days ago.
Now a lot of people may think this is a bit filmy to say that “Mumbai is no place for thugs”. However, many were appreciative of the way that the police is trying to up their public image and inspire confidence.
This is not the first time the Mumbai police has used a popular meme or a film to send out a message. It seems to be clever marketing to ride piggy back on a social media phenomenon such as a much anticipated movie to get across the message.
They tweeted with the same image of Aamir Khan’s character in the movie and used that to remind people not to fall prey to internet scams. The ‘thugs of online banking scams’ are always looking out for banking credentials and details; which people have to be careful not to reveal.
Aamir Khan had a very respectful response to the Mumbai polices’ tweet. He said that it is Mumbai police's job to be vigilant, watchful and work day and night; that he had faith in and respect for the police.
The other male lead of the film had a similarly respectful stance in response to the Mumbai police's tweet. And why not? The Thugs of Hindostan team is possibly knee-deep in promotions for the film and the tweets from the police of two states would only serve to boost those promotions. The police on the other hand get attention and visibility by being associated with something that is so viral on the net. Win-Win, wouldn’t you say?
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