No no, I am not referring to Osthe, the Dabang remake. Simbu is trying a new brand image for himself.
But before that you must know that I do not like him despite the fact that there is nothing personal. I am purely prejudiced.
Back in late 90s and early 2000s, Internet and Email were still uncommon. After creating many email ids with different service providers, I zeroed in on an address that became my identity. My email id used to be "gunduganesh" @ whatever. Gundu here meaning fat which is to indicate that I am quite a healthy person. The email id did become popular. At many a times, people at office and other places did start referring to me as Gundu. Now they were not rude just that they did like the id so much. Despite the fact that I never took offence, it did irk me now and then.
Naru, who is sort of a guru to me, at one time suggested that I should change my email id. He said that while it was good for someone to laugh at himself, it would certainly be bad for my image as I grew up in life. But it took me couple of years from then to actually change my email id. And then slowly my association with the word Gundu also declined. Though there are still very close friends who would refer to me by that name.
The bottom line is that it may be quite easy to create a brand equity for yourself through the easiest possible leverages but it is more difficult to change once your brand equity is established.
Simbu became Simbu because as a child artist his father decided to use it instead of Silambarasan. And he did manage to get popularity with that name. Also, as he was young and did imitate Super Star, he became Little Super Star.
With age, you realize that what is an advantage at a certain point may not necessarily be so at a different period. So, Simbu needs a different identity now at a stage when the competition is much for "mature and serious".So with Osthe, Simbu has also undertaken a marketing campaign to change his brand name from Simbu to STR and from Little Super Star to Young Super Star. So you can take part in quizzes, "get used" to the name that Simbu wants to be recognized as and win movie tickets to his remake movie.
Would be interesting to see how long before we get used to Simbu's new name and title. There certainly is a lesson for others to look ahead and decide now. Easy, as Simbu has realized, is not always the best!
