SOCIAL MEDIA LESSONS FROM BHUVAN BAM, GUL PANAG & ALAYA F!
Alaya F with her goofy videos, Gul Panag voicing her opinions, content creator Bhuvan Bam, or you?
Alaya F, 23 Actor
Keeping it real: Alaya doesn’t remove the awkward bits, because she feels who doesn’t like watching someone being silly and being able to laugh at themselves? Glamour is a part of her profession, but Alaya F is of the opinion that a great picture is the effort of a team working BTS. So, she will, of course, post the lovely end result, but also the awkward making.
Online evolution: “I used to edit and filter heavily, and I’ve reduced that. There’s also a good kind of pressure to be responsible,” she says.
Trolls: “Don’t pay them attention and they lose their power,” says Alaya F. Boon or bane? “It’s been a boon for me during the lockdown to stay visible and relevant! If I feel it’s affecting my mental health, I’ll take a break,” she shares.
Gul Panag, 42 Actor
Keeping it real: Gul sticks to posting about fitness, adventure, travel, health, and speaking her mind. By remaining in her realm, she stays authentic and Gul also believes that public figures must wear responsibility on their sleeve at all times.
Online evolution: “I stay away from social and political views, but feel strongly about the ongoing farmers’ protests. If it’s personal, it’s not ‘just political’,” she says.
Trolls: Gul says: “There are two kinds of trolls – ones who disagree on principle, whom you can learn from, and those being vindictive who you ignore.”
Boon or bane? “It’s liberating to give my take on things. Not everything actors say has to be about entertainment,” Gul says.
Bhuvan Bam, 26 Digital content creator
Keeping it real: Bhuvan stays authentic by posting about things he likes and he prefers quality over quantity. “I take about 15 days to think and write a single fiveminute episode!” he says and adds that people often forget the hard work and effort that goes behind the cameras – it’s just not all glamorous.
Online evolution: “My initial videos on Facebook got 20 views. On my friend’s advice, I switched to YouTube and thus, BBkiVines was born,” shares Bhuvan.
Trolls: “They are fun and it requires a lot of creativity. If it gets distasteful, take it with a pinch of salt,” he says.
Boon or bane? “I think it’s a boon when used constructively as it helps in co-development,” Bhuvan says.
Here's what you can learn from each of our stars: Bhuvan: “He puts out content that comes naturally to him, that he likes, without thinking about what aspects of life he wants to put out. Being the original social media star, he has the maximum amount of relatability, which is key. When he posts pictures from a photoshoot, the caption reads that the picture is made up,” says Sudeep J.B Lahiri, VP, One Digital Entertainment.
Gul: “I follow Gul for intelligence and she never indulges in loose talk. There’s a responsibility that comes with the power numbers bring – just because you have followers doesn’t mean you need to have an opinion about everything! Gul’s content is perfectly balanced!” he adds Alaya F: “I’ll follow Alaya F for glam! Social media does play a critical role in keeping you relevant as this is the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ generation. She’s also aware of the toll it can take! Be yourself but don’t have dhaniya in your teeth and be shabby. That’ll put people off,” Sudeep says.