So Priyanka Chopra, who is so unabashed about being seen with pop sensation Nick Jonas all over America, has now sneaked in her friend to Mumbai, avoiding the intrusive paparazzi but not exactly hiding either. Meanwhile Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are gushing over their new feelings and cooking up a storm with their mutual admiration of each other and the positivity that love brings. And after a slew of dreamy weddings, word is that A-listers Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are set to pledge themselves to each other this November. Cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma are even positioning themselves as doer-citizens.
The entertainment industry, which grabs any opportunity to sell the “happily ever after” story, is understandably going into an overdrive. Clearly the couple branding, which had dwindled somewhat in recent years in India, is back with potential. Take Nick and Priyanka. He has a US pop heartthrob value and can enhance his bouquet of diversity with the space that Priyanka already commands there and in south Asia. For Pee Cee, who is gradually slipping into the role of an international celebrity, this beyond the border approach bolsters her brand as a global citizen and makes her a prime candidate for endorsing wide-ranging causes and subjects, a role she has assigned herself already. Ranbir and Alia, acting powerhouses that they are, have already been signed up by brands for their combined stratospheric appeal and have ensured their future project is already a superhit. Alia’s mint-fresh stardust has actually helped Ranbir emerge out of a cloud of box office duds. The Ranveer and Deepika brand has not only minted millions for the film industry but, with an official seal, will be an industry unto themselves to be mined for unlimited potential. And like the power couples of Hollywood —-Amal and George Clooney especially come to mind —- all of them can float foundations and fund-raisers to indeed make a difference to society that Virat and Anushka are seriously considering.