Mumbai, Aug 31 (IANS): Women-centric films have caught the right attention in recent times, thanks to unique content and strong roles. But for "Heroine", Kareena Kapoor has gone a step ahead and managed to bring as many as eight brands on board - said to be the most for any female-oriented Hindi movie so far.

According to industry sources, an estimate of at least Rs.20 crore of brand-spends will be blocked for promotions of Madhur Bhandarkar's "Heroine", releasing Sep 21.

Lakme, Head and Shoulders and Monarch Universal are the brands Kareena endorses and have associated with the film, apart from others like Cera, Rupa, Jealous21, Sugar Free and Cocoberry which have come on board for in-film integration and various media associations.

"'Heroine' is a women-oriented film and I am happy that brands today are open to associate with such films which was never the case before. The trend is changing and I'm glad to have instigated it", said Kareena, adding that Bhandarkar "has pushed the envelope to bring out a strong performance from me".

Lakme is launching "Heroine" branded make-up under the Absolute range, endorsed by Kareena, and apparel brand Jealous21 will introduce a special clothing line inspired by the clothes worn by Kareena in the movie, which narrates the behind-the-scenes life of an actress.

"'Heroine' has an author-backed role for Kareena and Madhur's zeal to make it the way he had envisioned has prompted many brands to see an opportunity worth associating," said Shikha Kapur, executive director Marketing, Studios, Disney UTV.

"Even though it's a heroine-led film, because of its sheer content and Kareena's strong brand recall, we have successfully managed to have key brands on board. The product placement is integrated with the film's story line in a manner that is inherent to the narrative and accelerates the story further," added Kapur.

Earlier, women-oriented film like "Fashion" and "Aisha" tied up with popular brands.