Recently, Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra posted a cryptic message on Twitter suggesting a breakup! “We have separated and kindly request you to give us time during this difficult period.” sic).
Naturally it drew attention with many wondering if he and wife Shilpa Shetty are planning to separate. But later Kundra clarified in another post that he is separating from the masks, which he wore in public post his arrest in the year 2021 for the porn distribution scandal.
If you are wondering why Raj Kundra is suddenly seeking attention in the media, well, he needs to promote his upcoming movie UT 69! Nobody has heard of this film until Kundra enacted this drama.
Similarly, a few months back Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor were caught in an alleged lover’s quarrel on Instagram making everyone assume about their relationship with their cryptic messages and stories on the platform. It appeared like they had broken up, then a week later they were spotted dating!
Social media is full of such examples, where celebrities post attention-seeking messages and photos from time to time to be in the news.
We speak to social media users about attention-seeking posts from actors and if they are the best way to get publicity.
Paid promotions:
In a recent social media paid campaign, actor Anil Kapoor removed all the pictures from his Instagram and his daughter Sonam reacted to this on her story with a cryptic message leaving fans confused. It was later revealed the wiping out of the previous post was to promote a phone brand that launched a digital campaign inspired by his movie Mr India. “Such marketing gimmicks are very popular among fans, and actors are paid a lot to wipe off their accounts and highlight the brand through their platform,” reveals Steven Chawla, a marketing and content professional. He says, “For actors, it is very important to stay relevant and be talked about in news, and unless they say or do something shocking it’s not easy to cut. When we see their cryptic posts hinting at some bigger revelation, the curiosity and engagement from fans automatically go up. For most cases, if the promotional hook is not strong, it gets trolled affecting their public image.”
Family feuds:
Not just for self or brand promotions, even when celebrities want to diss someone they don’t like they use social media to declare war.
After filing her divorce from Joe Jonas, actress Sophie Turner recently unfollowed her former sister-in-law Priyanka Chopra on Instagram amidst speculations of a family rift between the two. Similarly, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan posted a cropped family picture of Aardhya to wish Amitabh Bachchan on his birthday and fueled rumours about her fretful relationship with her in-laws. Speaking about social media cryptic posts, Snigdha S, stylist, and influencer, says, “Social media wars among celebrities are not uncommon, and most of them use their online platforms to generate sympathy from their followers by posting suggestive pictures or quotes that look like a cry for help. In most cases, it’s either a publicity gimmick to be in the limelight or an attempt to sensationalise their fading stardom. These days being trolled is also a good way to get viral, and many influencers also follow this strategy to get quick followers and get famous. The easiest way to gain attention online is to post something completely absurd, and that’s why you see actors like Urfi Javed and Rakhi Sawant ruling social media with their ridiculous outfits and comments.”
Attention Algorithm:
As digital media has emerged as a successful platform to make quick money for actors, they need to keep the audiences engaged to attract brand collaborations. According to digital creator Apurva Saxena, “A lot of actors showcase attention-seeking behavior offline as well as online because it makes them popular and they love to be famous. In the case of Raj Kundra, who recently activated his online account on Instagram after his scandal, a sensational post can help him gain quick followers. Earlier celebrity PRs would leak rumors to keep their brand value high, but now they call paparazzi to post pictures or videos of their clients to make them viral on social platforms. For celebrities, it is a part of their job to be in the news to get brand endorsements, so even negative publicity about them doesn’t hurt.”
For actors, it is very important to stay relevant and be talked about in news, and unless they say or do something shocking it’s not easy to cut. When we see their cryptic posts hinting at some bigger revelation, the curiosity and engagement from fans automatically go up. For most cases, if the promotional hook is not strong, it gets trolled affecting their public image.” — Steven Chawla, a marketing and content professional.
A lot of actors showcase attention-seeking behavior offline as well as online because it makes them popular and they love to be famous. In the case of Raj Kundra, who recently activated his online account on Instagram after his scandal, a sensational post can help him gain quick followers. For celebrities, it is a part of their job to be in the news to get brand endorsements, so even negative publicity about them doesn’t hurt.” — Apurva Saxena, digital creator
