Overnight, Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has dissolved all rumours of link-ups with Asin, Lakshmi Rai, Deepika Padukone et al. And all this in a matter of 48 hours, says a media report.
India's most eligible bachelor and Team India's wicketkeeper-captain did a googly on the nation and caught his maiden well and secure behind the wickets. After the fast-and-furious celebrations in Dehradun, it's back to business for MSD.
Dhoni is the face of many a brand and has a number of endorsements under his spell. The newspaper talked to ad professionals whether Dhoni's ‘knotted' status, like Sania Mirza, adversely affect his brand value.
Lyricist, screenwriter and advertising great Prasoon Joshi does not see the situation in black and white.
“I wouldn't say Dhoni's marriage adds or takes away from his image. It just adds a new dimension to his portfolio. There's simply another set of images and emotions attached to MS Dhoni's uni-dimensional character now. Regarding his endorsements, it could be a mixed reaction. On the one hand, his single status has gone but on the other, his horizon has extended. Who knows, he could get different types of brands to endorse now, like household products and home appliances,” states Joshi.
Advertising great Piyush Pandey agrees and adds, “We've got a living example in Sachin Tendulkar. He got married when he was so young and was on the top of his career and he's still one of India's biggest brand names today. It's a misconception that when someone hot gets a partner, his or her brand value diminishes.”
Journalist-cum-film producer Pritish Nandy too avers that Dhoni getting married doesn't make the slightest difference to his popular image. However, his reasons are different.
“The poster-boy, bachelor image for a sportsman, especially a cricketer, always continues, even if he is hitched. Look at David Beckham, he's still the quintessential pin-up boy!” says Nandy, adding that Sania Mirza's marriage had controversies and history attached to it, which affected her image.
Shailendra Singh, head of a celebrity management company, believes that Dhoni's latest move has only made his image soar higher.
“The way he conducts himself, on and off the field, shows that he's always in active mode rather than reactive mode. Even the manner in which he got married proved that he had a plan. He thinks before he acts, has a mind of his own and knows how to protect Brand Dhoni. Brands like that stability factor. This will certainly work in his favour,” says Shailendra.
Celebrity manager Bunty Sajdeh continues in the same vein, “In Indian culture, marriage is highly respected, and Dhoni tied the knot at the right time. He's a professional success and one of India's finest captains, now, he's further evolving as a human being.”
