MUMBAI: As India continues to follow a nationwide lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the entertainment industry has come to a standstill, resulting in cancelled shoots and indefinitely postponed film releases. This crisis is challenging the ways in which actors connect with their fans.
Despite that, fans remain optimistic, and are taking to Twitter to interact with their favourite actors. In return, South India’s leading actors are leaving no stone unturned in reciprocating this affection. From Telugu cinema’s megastars, Chiranjeevi (@KChiruTweets), Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh), Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) to Tamil cinema’s pride Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth), prominent South Indian celebrities are Tweeting to engage with fans and encourage them to stay home and be safe. Actors are also making videos at home with song lyrics that urge people to isolate and stay safe amidst the COVID-19 crisis, several fans too are joining the made-at-home video action on Twitter.
Chiranjeevi (@KChiruTweets) shares, “I owe everything to my fans and audiences. The possibility of directly interacting with them and sharing my thoughts through a platform like Twitter has often crossed my mind. But during these unprecedented times, I felt an urgent need to communicate directly with my fans and fellow Indians and this led me to join the platform in March, on the Telugu New year’s day and the first day of the nationwide lockdown. During COVID-19, it has become more important than ever before to stay connected so that we can get through this pandemic together. Twitter is doing a great job of helping people do that.”
The lockdown has merged the boundaries between professional and personal lives, and many actors are Tweeting snippets of precious moments spent with their families. In fact, Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) made his ‘stay home, stay safe’ appeal to fans by sharing a video of his daughter in which she talks about the precautionary measures that are necessary to fight coronavirus and flatten the curve.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886749","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Mahesh (@urstrulyMahesh) reveals, “Twitter has been one of my major sources of information and entertainment in these testing times. While I’m at home with my family, I’m glad that the service is letting me stay in touch with my fellows from the film industry as well as my fans. I believe that Twitter is a very powerful medium to stay informed and connected with what’s happening in the world, especially, during a critical time like this.”
Let’s take a look at how Tollywood and Kollywood stars are striking the right chords with fans amidst the COVID-19 lockdown -
#QuarantineTime, Thala style: Father-son duo, Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan, make a smashing debut and return on Twitter
Chiranjeevi (@KChiruTweets) recently joined Twitter to connect with his fans on the service. His massive popularity on Twitter was evident in the way he was welcomed. He joined the service on the occasion of Ugadi, and addressed his fans by wishing them and asking them to #StayHomeStaySafe.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886769","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
His son Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) followed suit and re-joined the service on his own birthday. Owing to his popularity among film enthusiasts, he was showered with loving birthday Tweets, and the only birthday gift that this star asked from his fans was their own safety.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886779","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Chiranjeevi (@KChiruTweets) too welcomed his son with a Tweet, “The cub follows the lion,” he said.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886789","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Both the stars received a warm welcome by their south Indian film fraternity fellows.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886799","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Stars answer questions and entertain fans with made-at-home videos
A number of actors like Harish Kalyan (@iamharishkalyan), Prasanna (@Prasanna_actor) and Arya (@arya_offl) have been fielding questions from fans during Twitter Q&As.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886829","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
If that’s not all, actors Chiranjeevi (@KChiruTweets), Sai Dharam Tej (@IamSaiDharamTej) and Nagarjuna (@IamNagarjuna) shot an entire music video while still at home. They recorded video messages from their respective homes, put them all together, and made a music video to spread the #IndiaFightsCorona message.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886839","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Chiranjeevi (@KChiruTweets) also encouraged people to shoot similar video messages at home and send him the footage so that he could feature some of those clips in the music video.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886859","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Actor Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks) too chose to share a musical message and Tweeted a Tamil Coronavirus awareness song titled Unnai Kaakum.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886869","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
This is how celebrities spend time at home
Chiranjeevi (@KChiruTweets) recently shared a video of himself performing one of his #LockdownActivities - of keeping his residential premises clean.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886879","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Mahesh Babu (@urstrulymahesh) is looking at the brighter side and enjoying as much time as he can with this lovely family.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886889","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Self-care is a must, especially right now, and actor Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks) clearly laid down the rules for this lockdown, “Your smile is the best make-up ever.”
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886899","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Kajal Aggarwal (@MsKajalAggarwal), like many of us, is making the most of this lockdown by spending time with her family and taking cooking lessons from her mother. She’s also taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane, or so it seemed when she Tweeted some old photos with co-actor Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) on his birthday.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886909","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Recently, actors Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth), Mohanlal (@Mohanlal), Sai Pallavi (@Sai_Pallavi92) and Arun Vijay (@arunvijayno1) wished their fans happiness and health on the Tamil New Year, and urged them to stay safe.
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886919","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886929","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
[[{"type":"media","fid":"14886939","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}]]
Add new comment