How Bollywood’s biggest stars became the internet’s newest creators
As social media blurs the line between celebrity and creator, India’s biggest stars are chasing authenticity online—but is the audience buying it?
A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to see an A-list Bollywood or Hollywood actor propping up a phone in selfie mode, narrating their skincare routine or doing a “What’s In My Bag” video. Stars were meant to be aspirational, not accessible. They lived behind tinted windows and publicists’ carefully worded statements. But in 2025, the line between star and influencer has blurred beyond recognition. From Alia Bhatt’s chatty GRWMs and Ananya Panday’s “a day in my life” vlogs to Janhvi Kapoor’s fashion hauls and Deepika Padukone’s holistic skincare rituals, Bollywood has entered its influencer era—one reel, one filter, and one “relatable” caption at a time.
It is not just an Indian phenomenon either. Across Hollywood, celebrities like Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, and Sydney Sweeney have redefined how fame translates online. The difference is—while Western celebrities built their influencer capital alongside fame, Bollywood stars are learning to retrofit theirs. In a world where digital visibility is currency, even the most traditional actors are now marketing themselves through the lens of lifestyle content. The “PR drop” has replaced the red carpet; a 30-second reel does more brand work than a full-page magazine spread ever could.
When stardom meets the algorithm
The shift, of course, didn’t happen overnight. The pandemic marked a turning point—when audiences turned to their screens not just for entertainment, but for connection. Alia Bhatt’s YouTube channel, launched in 2019, was initially met with scepticism—why would a bona fide movie star need to vlog? But the formula worked. The audience rewarded glimpses of unfiltered domesticity—making apple crumble (and burning her hand while at it), sharing beauty routines, speaking directly to the camera. It humanised her. Others followed suit.
By 2024, even the most guarded celebrities were participating in viral trends. Katrina Kaif posted her skincare routine, Sonam Kapoor her nursery décor, and Kriti Sanon her Pilates journey. For Gen Z fans raised on TikTok-style intimacy, this new “access” felt refreshing. They no longer want to just watch celebrities; they want to know them. The influencer model has changed the very architecture of fame—now, relatability drives desirability.
But there’s a fine line between accessible and overexposed—and not every star strikes the balance. While some fans love Ananya Panday’s goofy, self-aware content, others find it “too curated to be real.” The paradox of the influencer era is that authenticity has become a performance in itself.
The currency of relatability
The influencer economy thrives on the illusion of intimacy—the feeling that a creator is your virtual friend. For Bollywood stars, who have historically been placed on unreachable pedestals, this shift is radical. It’s also strategic. Brands today are pouring more money into influencer marketing than traditional ads, and celebrity collaborations often blur those categories entirely. When Deepika Padukone posts about her skincare brand 82°E, or Kareena Kapoor films a “Get Ready With Me” for Lakme, they are not just selling a product—they’re selling a lifestyle built around accessibility and trust.
Globally, too, stars are playing the same game. Sydney Sweeney, Emma Chamberlain, and Selena Gomez have built billion-dollar beauty businesses on the back of “real girl” personas. In this sense, Bollywood is catching up.
How much is too much?
The question now is whether audiences actually want their stars to be influencers. There’s growing fatigue around the performative relatability that saturates social media feeds. When every celebrity starts doing GRWMs, the novelty wears off. We start craving mystery again. Indeed, the same audiences that cheer for Alia Bhatt’s sweet self-shot videos also gush over Zendaya’s old-school movie-star aloofness.
The influencer-fication of Bollywood may be a sign of the times—a recalibration of fame for an age ruled by algorithms. But like all trends, it comes with its contradictions. The same platforms that promise connection can quickly breed overexposure; the same filters that promise transparency can easily distort it. For now, India’s biggest stars are still finding their footing in the influencer landscape—trying to be everything at once: glamorous yet grounded, aspirational yet authentic.
Whether this newfound “relatability” is a reinvention of celebrity or just another performance remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: in today’s digital theatre, the camera never stops rolling—and the audience never stops scrolling.
Lead image: Getty Images
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