Word of mouth is the best way to promote a film today, says actor Rajkummar Rao ahead of the release of his upcoming sociopolitical drama "Bheed".

Citing the example of "Kantara", the actor said a medium-budget movie like the 2022 hit Kannada film can pull audiences to theatres if the narrative is "engaging".

"Especially for a medium-budget film, if you do not give them a big canvas experience, you have to give them (the audience) something different. It has to be something engaging for the audiences. Only then you can talk about a film. Right now, I feel the only PR that is left is word of mouth.

"If a film like 'Kantara' can travel the whole country... I may be sitting in Mumbai and then say 10 people are asking me if you have seen 'Kantara'? Just because the film was so good people had to talk about it and then I went to see it. That is the best PR strategy... Make a good film and let the word travel," Rao told PTI in an interview here.

Language is no longer a barrier, added the National Award winner.

"The good thing is people now also expect us to focus on our stories. All languages tell stories. The story has to be engaging, it has to tell something," he said.

About "Bheed", Rao said the film may be set during the Covid-19 pandemic but it is about hope and resilience.

"The second wave was heartbreaking but India managed to tackle the challenges even as the system in some of the European countries collapsed. There were so many people who wanted to go home, they were stuck... 'Bheed' encapsulates their tale," he added.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film also stars Pankaj Kapur, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, and Dia Mirza in pivotal roles. Produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series and Sinha's Benaras Mediaworks, "Bheed" is scheduled to be released on March 24.

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