Online Chatting: Ask Me Anything? Celebrities say, ‘sure’

Hyderabad: Like Robin Thicke, whose campaign #AskThicke backfired and Priyanka Chopra, who had to face uncomfortable questions during Reddit’s “Ask Me Anything” chat, some Tollywood stars too could face flak from fans during such interactions.

One might think that Priyanka should not have agreed to do the chat but Tollywood celebs think otherwise. “I don’t think celebrities should stay away from such interactions,” says actress Sanjjanaa Archana, who also had such a campaign on Twitter.

Her social media is handled by the same company that handles Priyanka’s. “The questions ranged from whether I would agree to wear a bikini, am I okay with kissing on-screen. I did not acknowledge the ones that crossed the line,” says Sanjjanaa. “One good thing about the interaction was that around 3,000 people started following me on Twitter.”

Rakul Preet Singh, who has also participated in such interactions, says, “I call them ‘Bring it on’. Fortunately, the conversations didn’t get uncomfortable. As a celeb, you are putting yourself out there and that’s a sign that you want to know your fans and have them know you. Fans need to understand that professional and personal lives are separate,” she says.

The actresses agree that if things take a downward curve then “ignoring the questions is the best bet. Only when a person has no respect for themselves, will they go out on a social platform and ask sleazy and demeaning questions,” says Sanjjanaa.

Yes, when a celeb is asked sleazy questions, it shows the “fan” in a poor light, but how does a star handle tough questions like, “How much does auto-tune contribute to your singing?” or “Where is your box of Paan Paraag that you swear by in the commercial?”