As per their whims and fancies...

Of late, celebrities have discovered a new place to voice their opinion. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have attracted a lot of celebrity attention. From Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘My Name Is Khan’ controversy to the recent Ramya episode, these celebrities utilised the social networking sites in their favour and were able to garner the support of their fans who are their greatest asset.

“When Dhandam Dashagunam controversy broke out, Ramya become inaccessible to media persons. But at the same time, through her Facebook account, she threatened to quit acting, which instantly won her the support of many fans. The great advantage of social networking sites is that there is no one to filter your words. One can reach out to the public directly. It has become a boon for media savvy people,” says Manjunath, an IT professional.

Bigwigs such as Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan have also utilised Twitter and blogs to defend themselves when allegations were made against them. “Their accounts on social networking sites have a large fan following. So, they need no better communication channel than this to formulate public opinion in their favour. And people believe the comments on social networking sites more than what come
out in newspapers and on television as they have personal appeal. Sometimes, posting sensual remarks also helps them win more followers,” says Shubha Kiran, a housewife.

And in some interesting cases, stars like Salman Khan and SRK had quit social sites as their comments on those sites created controversies. “Salman stopped being active on one such site after he faced public and political fury on his comments on Mumbai attacks. He started tweeting again after the IT raids on Katrina’s house. Even SRK was not very active after his remarks on Pakistani cricketers. When they want public support, they use such sites. But, when they are opposed, they stop posting comments on these sites,” says Vinay, a student of Sri Mahaveer Jain Engineering College.

However, there are fans who consider opinions on Facebook and Twitter as a temporary phase. “Ramya said she would quit. Later she changed her decision. While tweeting and
posting comments, people don’t think of the consequences, they just post what they
feel at that moment. Celebrities hardly stick to their words, so  it is better not
to take such comments seriously,” says Hamsa from NMKRV College.