It can be called a private-public partnership, in a manner of speaking. The naming of the Bachchan baby has been outsourced to the people at large, perhaps the first time such a thing has happened. The Bachchans are no slouches about dealing directly with fans — Papa Bachchan is one of the few Indian stars who has fully leveraged the power of the social media, tweeting and blogging regularly.
He shares all manner of things about his daily life, and was quick to announce the birth of his granddaughter. But he then baulked at the idea of sharing pictures of the baby, saying it was a private affair. And yet, here is Bachchan junior inviting fans to suggest names (must begin with A).
There was a time when such personal matters remained, well, personal. At best you shared them with your family and friends, or put out a small classified ad in the newspapers. Today it’s all about letting the world know in explicit detail through Facebook and Twitter. It’s one thing though to post pictures of oneself enjoying a party; but asking for suggestions on naming the baby? Abhishek Bachchan might well have started a trend.
Is this just outreach, or a smart publicity ploy? Or just a sincere attempt to share happiness with the fans? Will the person whose suggestion is accepted get a prize? The private-public line is getting increasingly blurred: one can almost foresee a time when celebs might seek advice on whom to date or marry.