Manish D Mishra (DNA; September 20, 2017)

The low-key and social media-shy Katrina Kaif has always guarded her privacy zealously. One look at her airport and event pap shots can vouch for the fact that she doesn’t really like posing and quickly walks past the shutterbugs, jumping into her car. She even kept away from social media platforms until recently. And now she has reached the epochal five million follower mark on Instagram the fastest compared to other actresses like Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez, who have had an Instagram presence for years.

Loving it!
Kat says, “It took me a while to join social media. Anything that’s new, I have a hesitant attitude towards it first and then I have to be coerced and convinced into it. So it took me a while to join Instagram. First, it was Facebook and I loved interacting with people there. So then I started Instagram and everyone told me that I’ll love the interactions and following new people I like and that’s exactly what happened. As soon as I joined Instagram, I was really hooked. I instantly found it super fun and for me, it’s not just about sharing with people who follow me but sharing my thoughts and what I’m feeling that day or something I like or I’m doing that day. There’s no real strategy behind what I do on my Instagram, it’s all in the moment.”

Hitting the fastest five!
Alia, Shraddha and Jacqueline have been on the picture sharing app for three years while Deepika Padukone posted her first pic two years ago, and Kat has gathered more fans than each of them in just four months. It took her exactly four months and 17 days to reach out to five million followers. Ask her what she attributes to hitting the fastest five and she says, “I’m having fun. I’m just sharing real moments with my followers. I enjoy having a platform where I have my own voice. Rather than being dependent entirely on the media for how I’m represented, the fact that I can put out what I feel is like having a direct connect with people without a third party involved. So it’s beneficial.”

How the reign started...
When Kat first appeared on Instagram, no one knew what to expect. Her Insta feed is like a diary of her work and fun moments. From film promotions and brand events to gym shenanigans and fashion shoots. Mixing quirk, fun and relevance like a lethal cocktail Miss Kaif shows she knows the winning formula! She adds, “It’s such a personal reflection of myself, I only do what I like, whether it’s just a phase I’m going through, whether I’m into an adventurous activity, then I put up those videos of that moment. And it’s important that the person capturing it also shares your vision and your aesthetic.”

Family first
What sets Kat apart from her contemporaries’ accounts is a quirky mix of content — from her inspirational workouts to on-the-set snapshots from Tiger Zinda Hai. From adorable selfies with her co-stars and friends, Kat keeps it a good mix of professional and personal, except for family. She explains, “There are not too many pictures with my family because, unfortunately, they don’t live with me and I wish they really did but whenever I do meet them or when some of my sisters accompany me to New York for my birthday, I do share pictures with them. Two of my sisters came there and the posts were about them. But out of the four months I’ve been on Instagram, they have been with me twice. There was also one picture of a girl holding some carrots she had grown and a lot of people thought it was me but it was actually my sister. I post pictures of my sister Isabelle even though she doesn’t live here with me but they are just solo pictures of her which I find really beautiful and nice. Now that I’m on Instagram, those are the moments I like to share and put out there.”

Instagram Popularity

Alia Bhatt: Took one year, seven months to reach five million

Deepika Padukone: Took one year, one month to reach five million

Shraddha Kapoor: Took one year to reach five million

Jacqueline Fernandez: Took one year, one month to reach five million