PR consultant Prashant Golecha is known for his outspoken views, professional approach, and strong personal relationships within the entertainment industry. With clients including Directors Kut Production, Rahul Tewary Production, Prateek Sharma and Parth Shah, Arjun Bijlani and several big names in the industry, he believes that effective public relations is not just about media coverage. For him, it is about building trust, being personally involved, and managing people and situations with honesty.
When asked what an independent PR consultant has over big PR agencies, he said, “Flexibility. I work at my own pace. I don’t have to be in a corporate office atmosphere. The people working with clients in agencies change all the time. Not with me. I personally am involved in all the work and the progress of my clients. That personal involvement matters.”
He believes in keeping communication direct and to the point when pitching stories to journalists who receive hundreds of messages every day. He said, “I send text pointers and highlight the necessary information. My pitch is straightforward, with no fluff. I send pitches over both email and WhatsApp to avoid any chance of them being missed.”
Working with celebrities also means dealing with the pressure that comes with public scrutiny, especially at a time when social media plays a very big role. For Prashant, managing the media narrative is as important as helping clients keep perspective. He said, “I explain to clients that they should not take everything personally. I ask them to stop reading the messages and remind them that these are absolute strangers commenting on their lives. Sometimes, I tell them, if a dog barks or bites, do you go and bark and bite it back? You have to learn when not to react.”
Repositioning an actor’s public image requires patience, timing and a carefully planned media strategy. Explaining his approach, he said, “A few months of disappearance, followed by reappearing with fresh pictures, can help create a new perception. Maintaining high exclusivity in articles, on social media and even at events is important. One-to-one meetings with select journalists also help.”
He believes personal relationships are still valuable even as the PR industry is moving more toward automated press distribution and digital platforms. He said, “Personal goodwill and trust are forever, in work and in relationships. People know that we never lie and are 100 per cent professional. We still maintain exclusivity and add the zing or the necessary masala according to the platform or publication’s requirements. Every publication has its own needs, and understanding those differences is important.”
As for false rumours and clarifications, he said, “We issue a statement quickly in media groups, put it out on our social media and, when necessary, ask the actor to post a clarification on their own social media account. The idea is to address the issue before misinformation spreads further.”
But there are also challenges that come with working in public relations, like payments and client management. Sharing his thoughts on this, he said, “Yes, actors do default. Four or five big actors have defaulted on payments, taken advantage of the situation and taken us for granted. The irony is that all of them are now sitting jobless at home. What goes around comes around. Client retention is not an issue for me because people who understand the value of our work continue with us, irrespective of anything. Every independent PR consultant must charge the full amount in advance.”
One point of contact is essential to his way of working for an independent consultant who takes care of strategy, implementation, client communication and crisis management. Asked how he manages the demands of the profession, he said, “Multitasking is a way of life. The one-point contact strategy works absolutely well and makes the work error-free. In any profession, WhatsApp and mobile phones have made everyone accessible.”
For Prashant, the fundamentals of public relations remain unchanged despite the industry’s evolving tools and practices. He continues to be personally involved while maintaining his professional integrity, and remains straightforward, responsive and dependable to maintain long-term professional relationships.
