In case you are wondering how he makes the cut, well, today it’s all about the number of followers you have that makes one a “sought after” celebrity!
Punjabi rapper Badshah is set to make his fashion debut at Men’s Paris Fashion Week this June, becoming the first Punjabi rapper to attend the high-profile event as a celebrity guest. Riding the wave of global South Asian representation—think Diljit at the Met Gala and AP Dhillon at Paris Fashion Week — Badshah will represent India on one of fashion’s biggest stages.
But behind the glam and global invites lies a carefully crafted numbers game.
“It’s all dictated by numbers. Anyone with millions of followers qualifies as a celebrity,” says a Mumbai-based publicist. “From Urvashi Rautela at Cannes to influencers walking red carpets abroad, these appearances are rarely organic. Invites are bought, reach is pitched, and social media strategy rules the game.”
Badshah himself admitted to spending a whopping Rs 72 lakh to boost views on his music video in an attempt to break a record. He was even questioned in connection with a fake followers racket but denied any wrongdoing.
Digital brand experts say this is nothing new. “They all do it,” says a strategist. “Followers, views — it’s all for optics. Brands buy into numbers, not necessarily engagement. That’s the currency now.”
So, while Badshah might walk the Paris runway, the real spotlight might just be on the carefully engineered digital persona strutting behind him.
