Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 23, 2017)

Ranbir Kapoor stays away from social media. His reticent nature doesn’t gel with a platform that demands exhibitionism. However, he also believes it’s an effective tool to track what his contemporaries in the film industry are up to. Kapoor revealed what we have suspected for a while. He is on Instagram, but not as himself.

Ranbir Kapoor says he holds anonymous accounts on social media platforms, which is a smart way of tracking the work and lives of his contemporaries, including former girlfriend Katrina Kaif, who turned prolific with her posts, even offering daily updates about her life, as soon as she joined the platform in April. In fact, Kapoor says he has more than one Insta account.

“Yes, I am active on the photosharing site. I am a stalker, constantly aware of all that’s happening in the industry. In fact, I was Katrina’s third follower when she joined Instagram,” says the actor.

Kapoor even claims that some of the pictures that Kaif posted were suggested by him. “I told her which photos to post, but she refuses to give me credit. After every post, I call her and discuss the purpose of sharing it. I make sure Katrina takes social media seriously. I am also sure I would do a better job than her if I ever got onto social media,” he says, we are not sure if in jest or seriously.

Why not take the plunge then? “I am an introvert. Shy. I can’t pretend, or project my life in a fun way to engage the audience. I can’t get myself to promote my work and person for the sake of doing it.” Is that a comment on Kaif?