Fukrey 3 merges character quirks with AI to promote its return
The return of the Fukra gang sees the creation of funny videos and posters along with on-ground events building up the hype. From fake-leaking the film online to creating Choo CPT, Fukrey 3 puts technology to good use.
Three years ago, director Mrigdeep Singh Lamba shared a meme hinting at the return of Fukrey 3. On September 28, 2023 it was finally released. So far, the movie has collected Rs 55.17 crore at the box office. As far as its marketing strategy is concerned, the Fukra gang has never shied away from engaging with the audience in a heartfelt and direct manner. With a slightly longer delay than the previous parts, the latest outing of the gang took unique and innovative approaches in marketing the film.
A sequel to the 2017-release Fukrey Returns, the movie follows the exploits of the three friends–a change from the earlier films–as they try to contest elections against their rival Bholi Punjaban. Fans of the franchise had long anticipated the third installment. However, the production of the film did not commence before the Covid-19 pandemic was over.
This is the first film of the franchise to not feature Ali Fazal in the leading role as he allegedly faced scheduling conflicts because of his prior work commitments to the series Mirzapur. The makers of the film went ahead with the remaining actors in the leading role, slightly tweaking the plot.
The cast of the movie includes Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Manjot Singh, Richa Chadha, and Pankaj Tripathi, all of whom return in their original roles. Ali Fazal makes a cameo appearance as Zafar.
The film’s marketing strategy took a lot of innovative steps in making sure that they reach not only the already established fandom but to newer audiences. These initiatives included the creation of animated videos featuring the characters, promotional events, as well as creation of the Choo CPT AI chatbot.
Building anticipation with early announcement
Lamba confirmed Fukrey’s return quite early, considering the movie was released almost three years after the post was shared. Regardless, this built anticipation among fans who were already waiting for the film’s making to be confirmed.
A special video featuring the Fukra gang was shared announcing the time of the trailer release. In the video, the cast members could be seen holding placards that featured information about the film’s release.
Fukrey 3’s trailer launch was held in Mumbai with the cast members attending the event. The event saw a bit of banter shared between Richa Chadha, Pulkit Samrat and the members of the media.
Posters revealing the release date of the movie were heavily shared by the cast members on social media. These captured the characters in their quirky traits and humorous poses.
With a week remaining for the film’s release, the song “Mashoor” was released which showcases the characters campaigning for elections with fervor using innovative tactics.
Events in Delhi, New York and London
Promotional events were held in a few major cities such as London, New York, and Delhi. The cast of the film flew to Delhi in-person to attend the event, sharing the news on their social media handles. The event in Delhi was referred to as “F3 Summit.”
Perhaps the most innovative promotional tactic employed by the movie's marketing team was the creation of the AI Chatbot named “Choo CPT.” Named after the beloved character ‘Choocha,’ the bot was created in collaboration with Mugafi. The bot employed a conversational chat format with the character of Choocha seemingly talking to the users and answering their queries. The bot answers emulates the way Choocha’s character says things in the films incorporating his catchphrases and funny one-liners.
A video demonstrating the use of Choo CPT was shared on Instagram, with the tagline reading, “Ab sapne mein nahi, virtually karo Choocha se baat only on #ChooCPT.”
Videos of the characters in their animated avatars took the internet by storm. The characters were given a revamped look with them dancing with quirky moves. One video showcased the animated avatars campaigning for elections in tanks and other processionary vehicles.
Funny promos featuring the characters and their quirks were shared on Instagram. These contained some custom made aesthetics and graphics that added to the overall look.
The cast including Richa Chadha, Pulkit Samrat, Manjot Singh and Varun Sharma appeared at the Umang Festival 2023 organised by Narsee Monjee College in Mumbai where they interacted with the college students and danced to their songs.
The cast shared reactionary posts writing that Fukrey 3 had been leaked online. The video that was shared seemed like a genuine clip from the film, but later one could figure out that it’s not genuine. The video was a funny take on the franchise wherein the actors switched their roles with each portraying someone else’s character. The hashtag of the post read, “#BeAFukraNotAPirate.”
To mark Fukrey’s return, the franchise promoted itself by merging technology, leveraging the characters’ relatability on social media and connecting with the audience directly through on-ground events.
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