Sharad Malhotra: Forget musicians, I know actors who buy followers to show off their popularity

Actor Sharad Malhotra says he is no one to pass judgements here but he doesn’t believe in having such approach.

Sharad Malhotra says buying followers, likes and views on social media isn’t just restricted to the music industry. There are actors who do the same to show off their good social media presence.

Actor Sharad Malhotra is presently shooting for the TV show Naagin 5.

“Forget musicians, I know actors who end up buying likes, views and comments in order to show off their popularity. They want to hit the million mark soonest possible. I am no one to pass judgements here, but I personally don’t believe this is the right approach,” says the actor, known for TV shows Banoo Main Teri Dulhann, Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap and Muskaan.

Is that the reason why even after his popularity he doesn’t have as many followers as anyone would have expected?

“Well, I wasn’t that active on any of these platforms. Since last year I’ve been putting conscious effort especially on Instagram to post and interact with my fans. Though I don’t post everyday but I try and share something or the other be it professional or personal. So my follower count is increasing but not like leaps and bounds as that is how it happens, it get lakhs and millions followers in a few days,” he adds.

The 37-year-old actor prefers things should happen organically. He is no hurry rather happy with his social media family.

“I don’t believe in faking it. It is better to have 5 genuine followers instead of buying hundred followers to show off my follower count, to highlight how much popular I am so that brands take keen interest in collaborating and even content creators feel that more followers will give more visibility. But I also understand that in such times how important social media is. So I won’t blame anyone,” he reasons.

Malhotra regrets not taking social media seriously earlier, more so, because now when he is active on Instagram, the reaction and comments he get from fans makes his day.

“I can’t stop thinking how much love I must have missed out on so many years. And the honest feedback and constructive criticism from my fans,” he says.

Not to forget the ongoing discussion around how toxic social media is becoming with hates, abuses and threats being common on various platforms. Malhotra too isn’t new to this negativity.

“Sometime people write really horrible things, even use abusive language. I avoid indulging and mostly block them. Sometimes my fans answer these trolls back. I can never understand the pleasure these trolls get in spewing hatred. This pandemic has showed us how there’s nothing in our hands. If not anything else this pandemic should teach us compassion and togetherness,” he ends.

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Author tweets @Shreya_MJ