When an influencer claimed he was offered Rs 5 lakh to malign an actor, it was shocking. But soon similar allegations surfaced with suspicious regularity making it seem like a strategic plan. Are actors amplifying online criticism to stay in the news?
Last week, an influencer alleged he was offered Rs 5 lakh to criticise Varun Dhawan for his performance in Border 2. Earlier, other influencers made similar claims, suggesting they were being “approached” to badmouth the actor.
However, the alleged smear campaign raises valid questions. Why would anyone pay money to denigrate an actor — why single out Varun Dhawan? If this were a coordinated effort, why were his Border 2 co-stars Diljit Dosanjh and Sunny Deol spared?
In the now-viral video, a man identifying himself as “Rajveer” is heard calling the influencer and allegedly offering Rs 5 lakh to malign Varun. The influencer responds with moral indignation, saying Varun is playing a soldier in Border 2 and that he would never criticise someone portraying a defender of the nation.
Who is this Rajveer? On whose behalf is he acting? And how did this call conveniently occur while the influencer was recording the conversation on video?
“No one is paying money to troll him,” says a source close to the developments. “This is pure fantasy. Varun’s recent performances, including Border 2, were trolled organically. No money exchanged hands. Who would want to turn routine trolling into a dramatic conspiracy aimed at bringing him down?”
When asked if this narrative could perhaps be orchestrated from the actor’s own camp, the source responds, “You draw your own conclusions.”
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says, “I doubt anyone would spend Rs 5 lakh — or even Rs 50,000 — to troll any actor. It serves no purpose. But yes, actors do spend a lot of money to shut up trolls.”
The Survival Strategy
A young actor, trolled since the start of his career, says: “Sometimes you counter-attack trolls by getting influencers to claim they’re being paid to malign you. It’s expensive, but often necessary for survival. The real question isn’t why we pay to stop trolling — it’s why we get trolled in the first place.” An outspoken actress cuts through the noise with brutal honesty. “Who is paying money to troll Varun Dhawan? Nine times out of ten, you get trolled because you deserve it. And influencers make such claims to feel important and get more hits.”
