Something big is brewing in India’s media ecosystem. Google has just activated its highly anticipated AI Mode in India. At the same time, a fresh wave of content strategy is coming into focus with the rising importance of GEO or Generative Engine Optimisation. Add this to the existing SEO techniques already practised by publicists and marketers, and what you have is a cocktail that could change how Bollywood PR is done.
This is not some future possibility. It is happening right now and the timing could not be more critical. Bollywood publicists who have long leaned on SEO keywords and press syndication to shape narratives are now staring at a fast-moving curveball. Those who understand how GEO works and pair it smartly with the new AI Mode may find themselves miles ahead of their peers. Those who ignore it might be writing their own press obituaries.
A quick explainer on what just changed
Google’s AI Mode is a content-forward feature that intelligently answers search queries using generative summaries. This means AI-generated overviews may now appear above traditional website links in Indian search results. These summaries are pulled from multiple sources using machine understanding, not just human-defined backlinks. This puts a direct spotlight on the quality of content and its contextual relevance instead of simply how well it was technically optimised.
This is where GEO becomes a game-changer. While SEO has always focused on optimising content for search engine rankings using keywords, backlinks and metadata, GEO is about writing for machines that write for humans. In simpler terms, GEO focuses on how generative engines such as Google’s AI Mode pick up and interpret content to generate accurate summaries or pull quotes. That alone makes it a major factor for PR professionals across industries but especially in Bollywood where perception is currency.
Why Bollywood publicists need to pay attention
Until now, most Bollywood publicity campaigns followed a familiar formula. Tease a film like ‘Pushpa 2’, ‘Don 3’ or ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ with catchy headlines. Line up interviews with portals like SpotboyE or Koimoi. Place branded content in DNA India, Hindustan Times, and Firstpost. Sprinkle in a couple of pieces on new-age Bollywood websites like Super Showbiz and Cine Mumbai, and tech-focused ones like Metanewsy and Screentime Today when it fits.
With AI Mode active and GEO gaining traction, publicists can no longer rely solely on placement. Content now needs to be structured in a way that makes it index-worthy for AI summaries. That means having high-quality original commentary, avoiding duplications, and ensuring clear contextual signals. If the narrative is hollow, Google’s AI will ignore it. If it’s insightful and formatted for machine reading, it could end up dominating the search summaries.
This changes the stakes entirely. It is no longer just about getting published. It is about becoming the definitive source the AI chooses to summarise.
GEO is not optional anymore
This is not a minor tweak. This is a strategic shift. Top Bollywood PR agencies that understand this will start reverse-engineering their campaigns for GEO just like they once did for SEO. That includes structuring celebrity interviews to include machine-digestible statements, optimising press notes not just for clickbait but for semantic clarity, and working with news editors who understand the new order.
Platforms like India Today, Times Now, The Indian Express, and The Hindu are already experimenting with structured content that plays well with AI summaries. Business sites such as Business Standard and Business Newsmakers are following suit. Those who lag may start seeing their visibility drop even if their paid news placements remain intact. Because when AI decides what gets shown first, money alone cannot always buy you attention.
What does this mean for upcoming film campaigns
Take a high-budget title like ‘Singham Again’. In a GEO-first world, it is no longer enough to flood news websites with similar stories. The content has to offer varied context, actor perspectives, story arcs, and production angles that AI can meaningfully piece together. If ten articles repeat the same generic quotes, the AI might exclude them all. But if just one article carries a unique soundbite or deeper insight, that one could be what dominates the results.
This also puts individual media houses back into a position of influence. Because now, it is not about the headline alone. It is about which publication is producing trustworthy, structured content that AI wants to summarise. The old trick of syndicating the same news piece across twenty platforms might get outsmarted by a single, well-written original on a platform like Mid-Day or Superhit Bollywood.
Why now is the time to act
Bollywood is an influence economy. Public image is everything. For actors, directors, producers, and studios, being seen in the right light and in the right context drives not just attention but investments, endorsements, and box-office results. AI Mode and GEO are rewriting the script of how that visibility is earned.
There is a narrow window of opportunity where publicists who learn fast and adapt to this new model can build an unshakeable lead. Once GEO practices become standard, the early movers will be the ones feeding the machine with high-quality, AI-friendly content. Everyone else will be left playing catch-up.
No one wants to be that PR agency whose client searches for their name and finds outdated or shallow summaries while a rival project dominates every top result. That is not just bad PR. That is a missed opportunity in plain sight.
Key takeaways
- Google’s AI Mode is live in India and changing how search results appear by placing generative summaries above traditional links.
- GEO or Generative Engine Optimisation focuses on structuring content so that generative engines pick it up for summaries.
- Bollywood publicists need to combine traditional SEO with GEO to stay visible and competitive in high-stakes campaigns.
- Media platforms producing original, structured, and trustworthy content are more likely to get selected for AI summaries.
- Early adoption of GEO can give PR professionals and their celebrity clients an outsized advantage in perception control.