A few years ago, in the Bollywood movie Welcome, a character named Dhanesh Warma said a famous line: “I will pick you from the street and make you a star.” Even today, this line is used as a meme on social media when someone talks about turning a talentless or unknown person into a star.
Social media has made many unknown people famous—sometimes so famous that even smart people are surprised at their success. But at the same time, it has played an important role in the lives of many showbiz celebrities too.
In the past, stars became popular through hard work in films and on the silver screen. But now, with social media, they have a new platform that can make them famous overnight instead of after years of struggle.
There is no bigger platform than social media to give instant fame. One photo or video can go viral and bring someone into the spotlight. This fame can be so big that even traditional film stars couldn’t achieve it after decades of work.
This brings up a big question—Is social media a blessing or a curse for Bollywood stars? In this video, we explore how social media has changed the fame game for actors, whether it’s about building a personal brand or handling controversies.
Today, the popularity of any star is often judged by how many followers they have on social media. If a star is trending on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter), big filmmakers want to cast them in movies because they believe that fan following can make the film a superhit.
But have you ever thought about how much effort it takes to grow followers on social media?
As a social media user, you probably know already—there is only one way to become popular here. You either follow trending topics or do something so unique and crazy that people from all over start visiting your profile and decide to follow you to see more.
From viral dance challenges to online fights, social media is deeply involved in Bollywood stars’ lives. Let’s see how these stars are using it for their benefit and how they are dealing with the complexities of online fame.
Actors used to join YouTubers and content creators only to promote their films. Now, they work hard to keep their Instagram profiles active and engaging too. They try to make their stories and posts so attractive that they grab the attention of millions of fans within minutes.
Some actors became even more famous because of social media. Kartik Aaryan went viral after his long speech in the movie Pyaar Ka Punchnama. Nora Fatehi kept people engaged by sharing her dance challenges, which increased her followers and brought her big projects.
Shehnaaz Gill gained popularity in the Bigg Boss show, but she became more famous when her dialogue Saada kutta kutta, tuada kutta Tommy was turned into a viral song. That song made people rush to follow her on Instagram.
Diljit Dosanjh also became a social media favorite because of his funny Instagram stories, his love for Kylie Jenner, and heart-touching reels.
Now let’s talk about controversies that hurt some stars’ careers badly and made them want to hide from the public.
The Black Buck case of Salman Khan might not have been that famous on its own, but when the hashtag Boycott Salman started trending on social media, it gave him a bad image. His videos where he was seen getting angry at reporters or other actors also went viral and made people troll him online.
Deepika Padukone also faced backlash when a leaked chat about drugs went viral on social media and hurt her reputation.
During rumors of his divorce, Abhishek Bachchan liked a post related to gray divorce, which created trouble for him. Aishwarya Rai’s fans got angry and criticized him harshly.
There are many such controversies that harmed the careers of Bollywood stars. But on the other hand, many of these same stars are making huge money through brand endorsements on platforms like Instagram.
So, it’s hard to say if social media is a blessing or a curse for celebrities. The truth is, it depends on luck. Social media can give fame or bring shame—it plays both roles equally.