Abhishek Singh is a Celebrity Manager who hails from Jamshedpur and has risen to the ranks with perseverance and an eye for success. Abhishek Singh is also known as a ‘Bolly buff’ whose heart has always wanted him to work in the film industry. In his early life was spent working with IBM, but soon after that, his love for Bollywood pushed him to undertake the journey towards Bollywood.
With his quintessential chemistry with the budding celebrities and having experience working with the superstars, Abhishek Singh has had a chance to work with them in India and the US. Today, he runs a renowned celebrity and event management company called “Celeb Bazaar” with a team of Bollywood enthusiasts and passionate people. Discover what made Abhishek the go-to person for celebrity management in this freewheeling interview with Storiyaan.
Abhishek Singh: A Leap of Faith into Bollywood
Interview
Questions and answers
You joined IBM after your college. What made you feel that your passion lies somewhere else?
I have been a Bollywood enthusiast since my childhood days and also wished to pursue my career in this field. Due to my parent’s objection, I took up Engineering and settled for an IT job. But my fondness for Bollywood drew me to take up celebrity events and within a short period, I created a bankable name and found my forte in celebrity management.
What has been your journey while you tried your hand at Bollywood?
The journey has been a roller coaster ride. My first event outside IBM was a debacle and I lost money, enough to borrow some from my friends. However, the experience was worth it as it has helped me streamline my strategies and develop a strong network for the betterment of my celebrity management company.
Your first break was with Siddharth Malhotra. Can you share your experience of the same with us?
I got a chance to work with Siddharth Malhotra in Delhi, where I was organizing a massive event for the Brand Skechers, of which he was a part. The experience was unreal; the crowd had broken the barricades to get a glimpse of their heartthrob. It helped me establish a niche that is hard in this industry which would later propel my journey into Bollywood.
What was your driving force behind this success, and what keeps you going?
My passion was my greatest strength and biggest motivation to push and challenge myself. In not more than a few years, I have established myself in India and the US with nothing but sheer dedication and will. Apart from this, people’s appreciation keeps me going.
From being born in Jamshedpur to bagging international events in the US. How well did you manage to adapt yourself according to the changes?
Concrete understandings of my work and flexibility have stood the test of time. Moreover, my project management experience in IT and my event management experience in India aided me in my projects with the A-listers in the US.
Can you speak to us about the most special memory that you have with a celebrity that you managed?
One incident that has etched a mark on me is when I was managing a hectic event in Dallas that had Sanya Malhotra on board. I fell asleep after the event and was late the next day. But she was sweet enough to book an Uber and reach the airport – this understanding and sweetness is something that I will never forget.
You have a passion for helping the children. Was there any incident that inclined you towards the same?
In IBM I got an opportunity to work with NGOs and underprivileged government schools as part of CSR activity and as I always loved creating solutions for different issues, so I took this as a challenge to push myself to help kids and NGOs in all possible ways.
How did you come up with the name “Celeb Bazaar” and what was the motto behind it?
I have not put any specific idea while naming the company. However, I wanted a tinge of Indianness to it, so I chose ‘Bazaar’ as my Company is a Marketplace to book celebs. However, the logo of “Celeb Bazaar” is inspired by Deepika Padukone in “Om Shanti Om”.
The main motto is to coordinate with celebrities and deliver tailored projects on time to different brands.
As a celebrity manager, who is conducting numerous events with media coverage. What is that part of your job that you find the most satisfactory, and why?
As a celebrity manager, the most satisfying aspect of my job is to coordinate with celebrities and deliver tailored projects on time to their utmost satisfaction. It is so because I am addicted to winning and performing to the best of my abilities.
Events all over India were mainly banned for a long time due to the lockdown. How have you managed to bring up new online ideas, and what were the challenges you faced during the execution?
One key lesson from my IT days is that you must have the ability to adapt. Having a technological background is an added advantage for me. However, the lockdown has been a huge blow to the industry, so there is a persistent fear of the unknown and demotivation among the people which is a huge challenge to overcome.
You have recently won the “BITA Award 2021 for Best Advertising and PR Agency”. Can you share your experience with us?
BITA award is one of the most reputed awards in Rajasthan and I am glad they liked my work and considered me worth felicitating. Getting recognized and appreciated for my work has always been a motivating factor.
Quick 5
1. A Bollywood star you would love to manage – Sanya Malhotra
2. Your go-to movie – Andaz Apna Apna or URI
3. A person you look up to – Mr Ratan Tata
4. Your favorite dance song – O o Jaane Jaana
5. A good day is when… both the brand and the celeb is satisfied with the event I organized.
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