PR Case Study: How Vijay Deverakonda and Veer Pahariya became a laughing stock with their Bollywood debut

In an industry where perception often precedes performance, smart publicity can make or break a career — especially when you’re trying to make a grand entry into Bollywood. But as history has shown, too much hype without substance can tip the scales from intrigue to ridicule. This became painfully evident in the run-up to the debuts of Vijay Deverakonda in ‘Liger’ and Veer Pahariya in ‘Sky Force’.

Vijay Deverakonda: From South sensation to ‘scripted’ heartthrob

Vijay Deverakonda entered Bollywood riding high on his massive popularity in the South. But instead of easing into the Hindi belt with authenticity, he was rebranded almost overnight as a Bollywood-style “ladies’ man”. In the months leading up to ‘Liger’, media portals were flooded with suspiciously uniform stories about women “drooling” over him, swooning at his rugged charm, and falling for his “rowdy boy” persona.

The tone of the coverage felt too orchestrated — too glossy — and the audience noticed. What should have been an organic buildup to a promising crossover turned into a PR caricature. When ‘Liger’ eventually tanked, the exaggerated build-up only made the fall more dramatic and, unfortunately, meme-worthy.

Veer Pahariya: The backlash of a pre-celebrated debut

Veer Pahariya’s Bollywood journey hadn’t even begun, yet he was all over entertainment headlines. From being touted as “the next big thing” to speculative pieces about his stardom and “X-factor”, the narrative felt forced and hollow. The fact that his name was repeatedly linked to his political lineage and his previous relationship with Sara Ali Khan made it worse — reducing what could have been an earnest debut into a tabloid sideshow.

Public sentiment was quick to turn. The audience, now more media-savvy than ever, questioned the overexposure and called out the apparent attempt at manufacturing stardom out of thin air. As ‘Sky Force’ drew nearer, the noise surrounding his name felt less like anticipation and more like exhaustion.

PR lessons from the misfires

Both cases reflect a common mistake — trying to script fame before it’s earned. In an age where audiences value authenticity and relatability over loud declarations of greatness, overhyped campaigns can do more harm than good. When storytelling turns into self-congratulatory noise, credibility erodes.

Bollywood’s only PR guru, Dale Bhagwagar, puts it wisely. “In PR, there’s a fine line between building intrigue and triggering backlash,” he says. “When perception is pushed too aggressively without matching performance, it often boomerangs. The smartest publicity is the one that breathes — not boasts,” concludes the Indian PR maven.