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Also the core value of Brand AB - a 'Saviour' of people - got damaged in the process, as he could not be the same saviour of people in real life; on the other hand, his own image got corrupted with 'Bofors' controversy. Instead of fighting against corruption, the Brand AB itself became part of the corruption.
Another unsuccessful move was to institutionalize himself with Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), hoping to extend the brand over wider areas. But this effort also failed because it again tried to encash the old image of Brand AB instead of adding some new value to the brand. It hosted the Miss World Pageant, in Bangalore, the first of its kind ever in the history of India. The company then came under debt running into crores of rupees. Some analysts reckon that ABCL lost over Rs. 7 crores (Rs. 70 million) in organizing the ill-fated Miss World pageant.

ABCL also produced movies like Mani Ratnam's 'Bombay' and Shekhar Kapoor's 'Bandit Queen'. But most of the movies produced under the ABCL banner bombed at the box office. Even his return to commercial cinema, with films like 'Mrityudata (1997)', 'Lal Badshah (1999)' and 'Major Saab (1998)' flopped miserably. One off movie like 'Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan (1998)' was hit mainly because of the presence of younger co-star like Govinda.

Re-positioning the Brand AB - Rise Again

The Brand AB was recycled with the Indian version of the television show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' called "Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC)". The show presented the same Brand AB by re-positioning it. The core value of the brand was still the same - he was a 'Saviour', previously he was the saviour of the neglected masses; now he became saviour of people, helping them to achieve and win money. The era of achievers cashed in with 'Achiever' attribute of the Brand AB. Brand AB is an achiever brand in itself - he has achieved fame and has become a superstar, starting from a mere struggler in the film industry. In KBC, he became a guide to the people who wanted to be achievers in life by winning money.

KBC presented AB in classy suits and elegant ties or in traditional Indian attires. He carried both personalities majestically in the show. He spoke brilliantly in both Hindi and English. One of the reasons for this successful repositioning of the brand is Amitabh Bachchan's mass appeal in the role as a classy host. His personality, acting sense, bilingual efficiency (English and Hindi), and magnificent voice gave the audiences a brilliant TV host.

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* Contributed by: -
Shirshendu Ganguli,
Research Scholar,
ICFAI Institute for Management Teachers, Hyderabad.