Being InstaFamous

They say, ‘Being popular on Instagram is like being rich in the game of Monopoly’. Well sometimes, it’s not true, as city Instagrammers are being bombarded with offers for modelling, and short  films. Big money is being offered for shout outs and promotions! Their number of followers increase by the day.

Deepthi Sunaina (134,000 followers), Sangeetha Chawla (43,000), Aneesha Perni (24,900), Hasvanth Vanga (7,137), Navya Rapolu (9,734), Gaurav Kaizoku (1781), Tagore Naidu (3,143) and Puja Reddy (16,800) are a few of the popular names. From dance videos to dubsmashes, there’s a lot happening.

How did it start?
Deepthi Sunaina, who’s got a plethora of fake profiles on Facebook and Instagram alongside fan pages and hate pages is the most popular name and it wouldn’t be wrong to call her a star.

She didn’t expect all the response when she started off. “My profile was private. It was on the suggestion of friends that I made it public. I didn’t expect this adulation. It’s overwhelming,” says the 18-year-old degree student.

Sangeetha Chawla is a doctor by profession and a designer and stylist by passion. For her it all began because she likes dressing up. “I used to post my photos and people started liking them and following me. The dubsmash videos just happened,” she explains.

In no time, the followers start making requests for new posts and as the word spreads, the number of followers increase. “When I take a gap sometimes, people ask me what happened,” reveals Deepthi.

Unexpected fame
“I never wanted to be famous. To be honest, none of this really affects me. I like it but I didn’t expect it,” shares Sangeetha, on the fame. Unlike Sangeetha, Deepthi shares that she enjoys it. “I enjoy the attention. It feels great when people appreciate what I am doing. Even my parents are proud of me. People look at me as a brand now. Isn’t that cool?” says the youngster, known for her trademark tricolour hand bands she wears in every video.

Umpteen opportunities
“In no time, I was offered roles in films. I wanted to be an actress but now that people are noticing me, I want to make a wise choice. I will take time and start off perfectly,” says Deepthi. Another interesting aspect Sangeetha reveals is how people offer money for shout outs. “It is an option but I don’t really like doing it. I love making clothes. No modelling or acting for me,” she says.

Unwanted hate
“Just because we are on a public platform, people think it is okay to talk and say as they like. The profile might have been public but it is my private space,” says Sangeetha who has now made her profile private but her sister is facing the brunt. “They post on her profile now,” she rues.

Deepthi says, “I initially felt bad when I saw the hate pages. But later I took it in my stride. When they are working so hard to make me famous, why should I feel bad? I’d rather thank them.”