Image Perception: Brand Builder

ON JULY 29th, the famous adventurer and the host of the TV series Man Vs Wild announced that one of his episodes on August 12 will feature Modi. In the promo he shared, Modi is seen with Bear Grylls in the Corbett National Park on a makeshift raft and later holding a crude spear in his hands.

As usual, it sent the social media into a tizzy. While his supporters called it ‘cool’ and shared the promo, those opposed to him began making fun of it and created memes.

But Modi does not care about his detractors’ idea of image-building. “He has very strong ideas about how people should perceive him,” says a senior BJP leader. Modi knows what his supporters want. “Tomorrow his supporters will know that less than a year earlier, Barack Obama also featured in the same show. It is only going to take his appeal a few notches higher,” he says.

In the promo, Modi is seen wearing outdoor casuals; this adventure will add to his macho image—something that will, in turn, add to his growing popularity.

But it is not only masculinity that Modi portrays. Through different acts, he provides an image of himself that is steely, tender, and spiritual. His interview with actor Akshay Kumar and his visit to Kedarnath were very much a part of this exercise.

“He thrives on the jokes his opponents create about him. That is something the opposition has never been able to achieve. It is a big learning for them,” says a senior BJP leader.

Only that the opposition seems unwilling to learn and time is running out for them.

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Rahul Pandita

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