Right before the release of Dilwale's trailer, I woke up to a Twitter notification that claimed Shah Rukh Khan had replied to the tweet that I had sent him on his birthday, a few days earlier.
I spent the day in a state of pure bliss. But as the day went on, I realized that the other 20 Million people had got that seemingly personal reply too. Clearly, a bot or an overworked intern was made to reply to anyone who had tweeted at Shah Rukh Khan with a link to the Dilwale trailer and a seemingly personal message.
My rambling tale has a point, I swear. Despite the fact that my good sense, and some of my jeering friends' remarks, told me that he didn't ACTUALLY type out the tweet to me, I still watched the trailer at least 50 times and shared it with all my friends too. So the point that you've probably been trying to search for this whole time is how cleverly celebrities can use social media to promote themselves and their projects.
Aside from making celebrities seem more accessible, these platforms have given a chance for artistes to build a brand that doesn't seem manufactured by a professional team of consultants. In her now infamous Koffee With Karan episode, Kangana Ranaut claimed that she once lost out on a lucrative endorsement deal because she didn't have an online presence and, as a result of this, probably doesn't have as much influence as a celebrity who is active on social media. On that note, here's a quick look at how Bollywood celebrities fared on the Internet this week:
THE GOOD
Aamir Khan
This week Aamir Khan decided to take the plunge and made his debut on Instagram, gaining nearly 2 lakh followers almost instantly. He made a grid collage featuring his mother with a simple, yet heartwarming, caption saying: "The person because of whom I am who I am"
Seems like a good way to start, right?
Farhan Akhtar
The Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara actor is using his social media clout to help locate a missing girl, reportedly an employee at Adhuna Akhtar's BBlunt salon. With a following of nearly 14 million followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the actor has a good chance of spreading the message to a larger audience.
THE SAD
Hrithik Roshan
Actor Narendra Jha, who featured in films like Haider and Raees, passed away due to a heart attack earlier this week. In between dismissing rumours that always seem to be circulating around him, Hrithik tweeted a condolence message for his Mohenjodaro and Kaabil co-actor:
Irrfan Khan
The Piku actor posted an update on his condition that he had revealed last week, in another statement on Twitter, including a profound quote by author Margaret Mitchell and a cheeky suggestion for people to Google before making assumptions:
Sending major positive vibes towards you, Irrfan.
THE HILARIOUS
Karan Johar
The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil director knows how to laugh at himself. Earlier this week, he mocked one of the most intriguing (and frustrating, TBH) aspects of being a Bollywood celebrity: The Airport Looks.
He tweeted:
Shah Rukh Khan
Since clairvoyance is not one of my limited talents, I can't predict how the movie Zero would be like. But if the preceding social media posts are anything to go by, then the camaraderie between Katrina Kaif and Shah Rukh Khan seems to be on point. Shah Rukh recreated an iconic scene from his movie Darr, with a little twist:
Effective social media marketing or actual goofing around on set? We'll just have to wait and find out.