Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has shared his thoughts on the evolving landscape of film promotion, stating that promotional music videos are now largely outdated. The director, who was one of the pioneers of special music videos to market his films, expressed his views in a two-part tweet on September 20, 2025.
Sanjay Gupta SLAMS modern film marketing gimmicks; calls promotional music videos “thing of the past”
In his first tweet, Gupta wrote, “I was probably the first Producer/Director to shoot special music videos to promote my films. But those were different times. We only had film and music channels to promote. Today, I feel that’s a thing of the past. The audience won’t get impressed with a flashy video.”
He followed up with a second tweet, reinforcing his stance: “We need to accept that just the way visits to malls make no difference to a film’s opening, music videos—however sexy and appealing—will not compel the audience to go to the theatre. The only draw is the uniqueness of your trailer and its connect. RIP promotional video.”
Gupta has often been vocal about film promotions, emphasising that a movie’s core elements—its trailer, story, and overall appeal—are what truly attract audiences, rather than extravagant marketing gimmicks.
Reflecting on his earlier comments after the release of Saiyaara, Gupta praised the decision to limit the lead actors’ appearances in pre-release interviews, podcasts, and promotions. On his X account, he wrote: “So whoever decided at YRF to keep the lead pair of Saiyaara away from all pre-release interviews, appearances, and podcasts is a genius. They preserved the freshness exclusively for the big screen. And look at how it’s worked.”
He criticised what he described as the corporatisation of film marketing, adding: “Film business was running smoothly. Then corporates came and tried to rewrite the rules of the game. They screwed up. Big time!!! One of their biggest screw-ups was P&A (Print & Advertising). It was purely to loot producers. Corporates left, and producers continue the stupid trend of promotions.”
Gupta also pointed to the South Indian film industry as a model: “The South never followed the dumb P&A practice. They did just fine. More than fine. And then come films like 12th Fail and Saiyaara, straight to theatres—smash hits with no PR nonsense. Can we please learn our lesson?”
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