Celebrities and Influencers
23.1Scope
Stars, comedians, sportspersons and lifestyle influencers.1
The arena is measured by documented public acts of stars, comedians, sportspersons and lifestyle influencers (including the 2026 NEET and CJP protests), weighted by strength and reach, and their followers.
23.2Significance
Values and taste of audiences no party reaches; mobilisation in crises (farm protests, NEET).
23.3Indicators and weights
Table 23.1 lists the 4 indicators of the arena, the weight of each within the arena, and each indicator’s reading (the Hindutva-aligned share, from 0 to 100).
Table 23.1. Indicators of arena 5.5
| Indicator | Weight | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Documented acts, strength-weighted (incl. NEET/CJP protests 2026)2 | 0.40 | 34.3 |
| Acts weighted by the actor’s followers3 | 0.30 | 48.6 |
| Followers by net side | 0.30 | 41.6 |
| Followers from Pakistan and Bangladesh4 | 0.11 | 8.5 |
| Arena reading | 1.00 | 37.6 |
23.4Reading
The arena reads 37.6, 12.4 points below parity, and is classified as opposed majority (a reading below 45). With a weight of 1 of a total 107.7, it contributes 0.35 points to the composite reading of 45.7.
The indicators diverge: the highest reading is for acts weighted by the actor’s followers (48.6), the lowest for followers from Pakistan and Bangladesh (8.5).
Each bar divides the indicator between Hindutva-aligned (left) and opposed (right) holdings. The vertical rule marks parity.
23.5Measures and exhibits
The exhibits below are the Atlas’s own views of the data behind each measure: shares by side, the largest units, breakdowns by source, recipient and country, money-flow diagrams and time series. Full row-level ledgers are in the data file (Appendix D).
Measure 1. Documented acts, strength-weighted (incl. NEET/CJP protests 2026)
Reading 34.3%
influencers_acts.csv; user rulings applied (Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt neutral; Elvish Yadav Hindutva; CarryMinati Opposed)
| unit | category | subcategory | measure | measure_unit | side | side_basis | year | state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | sportsperson | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-02-03: #IndiaTogether post after Rihanna farm-protest tweet (conciliatory) [core] | 2021 | |
| Priyanka Chopra | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2014-10: accepted PM's Swachh Bharat nomination (one of nine original nominees) [govt] | 2014 | |
| Priyanka Chopra | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2020-12-07: tweet backing protesting farmers [core] | 2020 | |
| Alia Bhatt | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2024-01-22: attended Ram Mandir consecration, Ayodhya [core] | 2024 | |
| Alia Bhatt | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2019-12: shared Constitution preamble during anti-CAA/Jamia protests (ambiguous) [core] | 2019 | |
| Katrina Kaif | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2024-01-22: attended Ram Mandir consecration, Ayodhya [core] | 2024 | |
| Deepika Padukone | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2020-01-07: stood with JNU students after campus attack [core] | 2020 | |
| Salman Khan | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2014-10: accepted PM's Swachh Bharat nomination (original nine) [govt] | 2014 | |
| Anushka Sharma | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2017-05-30: face of Swachh Bharat 'Darwaza Band' govt sanitation ad campaign [govt] | 2017 | |
| Akshay Kumar | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2019-04-24: 'non-political' interview of PM Modi released during Lok Sabha campaign [core] | 2019 | |
| Akshay Kumar | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-01: donated to Ram Mandir construction fund and urged followers to join [core] | 2021 | |
| Akshay Kumar | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-02-03: #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda [core] | 2021 | |
| Sachin Tendulkar | sportsperson | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2014-10: accepted PM's Swachh Bharat nomination [govt] | 2014 | |
| Sachin Tendulkar | sportsperson | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-02-03: #IndiaTogether ('India's sovereignty cannot be compromised') [core] | 2021 | |
| Sachin Tendulkar | sportsperson | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2024-01-22: attended Ram Mandir consecration, Ayodhya [core] | 2024 | |
| Shah Rukh Khan | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2015-11-02: 'extreme intolerance' remark [core] | 2015 | |
| Parineeti Chopra | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2019-12: called CAA discriminatory / backed Jamia students [core] | 2019 | |
| Madhuri Dixit | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2024-01-22: attended Ram Mandir consecration, Ayodhya [core] | 2024 | |
| Diljit Dosanjh | musician/film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2020-12-05: joined farmers at Singhu, asked govt to accept demands [core] | 2020 | |
| Aamir Khan | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2015-11-23: intolerance remark; dropped as Incredible India ambassador [core] | 2015 | |
| Swara Bhasker | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2019-12: anti-CAA rallies [core] | 2019 | |
| Swara Bhasker | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | R | 2022-12: walked in Bharat Jodo Yatra [core] | 2022 | |
| Kangana Ranaut | film (BJP MP) | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2019-07-26: signed letter of 62 vs 'selective outrage' [core] | 2019 | |
| Kangana Ranaut | film (BJP MP) | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-02: attacked Rihanna/farm protest [core] | 2021 | |
| Kangana Ranaut | film (BJP MP) | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2024-01-22: attended Ram Mandir consecration, Ayodhya [core] | 2024 | |
| Kangana Ranaut | film (BJP MP) | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2024-06-04: elected BJP MP, Mandi [core] | 2024 | |
| Ajay Devgn | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-02-03: #IndiaTogether vs 'false propaganda' [core] | 2021 | |
| Karan Johar | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-02-03: #IndiaTogether post [core] | 2021 | |
| Suniel Shetty | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2021-02-03: #IndiaTogether [core] | 2021 | |
| Anupam Kher | film | carried-r7 | 1 | act | H | 2015-11: criticised Aamir intolerance remark; led 'March for India' counter-rally (Nov 2015) [core] | 2015 | |
| First 30 of 287 rows; all rows are in the data file (Appendix D). | ||||||||
Measure 2. Acts weighted by the actor’s followers
Reading 48.6%
influencers_acts.csv; same rulings
Measure 4. Followers from Pakistan and Bangladesh
Reading 8.5%
Hindutva's share of the followers that come from Pakistan and Bangladesh: 17.5% of the opposing accounts' followers (owner's estimate, 15-20%, from a social-media analysis), 2% of the Hindutva accounts' (owner's default). Live from the follower rows. Grade E: an estimate, to be replaced by measured audience-country data. Direct: it lifts these celebrities' and influencers' reach. The analysis (Instagram reel) ↗
Data table
| million followers | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Hindutva-aligned | 750 | 18.6% |
| Opposed | 925 | 22.9% |
| Transactional | 0 | 0.0% |
| Neutral / not counted | 2,358 | 58.5% |
Data table
| million followers | Side | |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 271 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Shraddha Kapoor | 92.7 | Neutral / not counted |
| Priyanka Chopra | 92.7 | Neutral / not counted |
| Alia Bhatt | 85.2 | Neutral / not counted |
| Katrina Kaif | 78.7 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Deepika Padukone | 77.9 | Opposed |
| Neha Kakkar | 75.9 | Neutral / not counted |
| Salman Khan | 72.8 | Opposed |
| Jacqueline Fernandez | 67.6 | Neutral / not counted |
| Anushka Sharma | 67.1 | Neutral / not counted |
| Urvashi Rautela | 66.8 | Neutral / not counted |
| Akshay Kumar | 64.7 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Disha Patani | 60.2 | Neutral / not counted |
| Kriti Sanon | 57.8 | Neutral / not counted |
| Sunny Leone | 54.4 | Neutral / not counted |
23.6Evidence base
The arena rests on 283 coded units. Of the units and flows, 51 are coded Hindutva-aligned, 129 opposed and 103 neutral, mixed or transactional. By source grade: 68 grade C.
The full set of rows for this arena, each with its source, is in the Atlas data file (Appendix D).
Notes
- Platform counts; news records. ↩
- influencers_acts.csv; user rulings applied (Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt neutral; Elvish Yadav Hindutva; CarryMinati opposing actors). ↩
- influencers_acts.csv; same rulings. ↩
- Hindutva's share of the followers that come from Pakistan and Bangladesh: 17.5% of the opposing accounts' followers (owner's estimate, 15-20%, from a social-media analysis), 2% of the Hindutva accounts' (owner's default). Live from the follower rows. Grade E: an estimate, to be replaced by measured audience-country data. Direct: it lifts these celebrities' and influencers' reach.. ↩