Lights, camera, strategise: Modi government to hard-sell soft diplomacy on the red carpet at Cannes

  • The PM is reported to make the most of Bollywood's reputation to further his diplomatic agenda at the glamorous film festival
  • The alleged plan is to market Indian expertise in the entertainment industry across the globe 
  • 'Soft power' is the ability of a country to persuade others to do what it wants without resorting to force or coercion
  • See more news from India at www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome 

India is aiming to unleash a reel-world charm offensive to turn its superpower dreams into reality and the first act will be set in the resort town of Cannes on the French Riviera. 

Sources say the Narendra Modi government would unveil its strategy on the red carpet at the upcoming 70th edition of the annual Festival de Cannes next month. 

Information and broadcasting minister Venkaiah Naidu may attend to spearhead India's efforts, though the matter has not been finalised. 

Experts say while Hollywood created a cultural hegemony over the East (and the example was successfully emulated by the Chinese when they marketed their culture via Kung Fu diplomacy in their movies), this time India is making a definite dash for doing the same. 

'We have in the recent past been in talks with several foreign governments for selling our prowess as international consultants on archiving and digitisation of films, documentaries and movies. 

'We want to sell our entertainment expertise across the world for getting a global presence in film production and international collaboration for making movies,' a senior ministry official told Mail Today. 

Speaking on the media and entertainment arena in India, Naidu said this month that the sector had tremendous potential to break all previous records. 

'India is the biggest producer of general entertainment combined with the advantage of the IT sector and young workforce, and it is the right moment to give India's soft power a big push,' the official added.

Dressed to impress: The entire cast and crew of the film turned heads as they stepped out in unison 

Cannes Festival attracts superstars from across the globe, and Modi allegedly hopes to take advantage of that platform 

'India is in the midst of an unprecedented revolution in regards to production, distribution and consumption of general entertainment, music, cinema, television programmes, and so on.

'The government for one has taken many initiatives to transform the entire machinery, converting 'red tape' to 'red carpet' by providing opportunities and facilitating their participation.' 

Soft power is the ability of a country to persuade others to do what it wants without resorting to force or coercion. 

Lending an insight into the communication strategy of the Modi dispensation, which is essentially powered by the PM's own image as a 'communicator par excellence', a government source said this regime had not let anything on the communication front to chance. 

'What the PM does also carries a lot of visibility, from 'Swachh Bharat' to 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' campaigns,' the offical pointed out.

'He communicates with people directly through 'Mann ki Baat' and has resurrected radio which was considered dead. 

'He established direct contact on the eve of demonetisation. Minister Venkaiah Naidu acts as the myth-buster par excellence. Any adverse info in public is straightway put down by him. 

'The way he treated the Aussie PM is the biggest recent example of the use of soft power.' 

International relations experts have long been seeing Modi's moves as endeavours to further India's soft power. 

The Yoga Day and its internationalisation via the United Nations is considered a landmark in this pursuit. 

'Yoga was also used as a theme during Modi's visits to China, Mongolia, and South Korea,' added an official. 

'This government talks not in abstract terms, but in a language that can be understood by the common man. 

'Even all the government ads are curated by the I&B ministry carefully in line with a media strategy. Branding is at the core and the message is inclusion. 

'For including people the PM and the party uses social media too apart from such crowd sourcing ways as the MyGov initiative where people can talk to their government in Delhi sitting in any remote corner of the country. 

'Since Modi came to power, every unit of the I&B ministry has been spruced up; the PIB is now an efficient machine,' said a ministry official.