Scroll through some of the leading Bollywood actors’ Instagram accounts, and eagle-eyed fans will notice a change. In a strange turn of events, by Thursday morning, many of the actors experienced a drop in their follower count. Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan, and Janhvi Kapoor reportedly lost thousands of followers between May 7 and 8. Digital experts suggest that a section of the South Asian diaspora has unfollowed certain celebrities after Operation Sindoor.

According to social media analytics, Bhatt and Aaryan saw a dip of nearly one lakh followers from their respective 8.62 crore and 4.50 crore followers. Khan’s followers dropped by approximately 60,000, and Kapoor’s, by 30,000. Meanwhile, Devgn’s 1.2 crore count saw a reduction of roughly 20,000.

A digital media strategist, on condition of anonymity, linked the recent activity to two episodes. “Last week, top Pakistani artistes’ social media accounts were blocked in India. That was seen as a gesture of rising intolerance. After Operation Sindoor, many Bollywood celebrities took a stand, which did not go down well with certain sections of the South Asian diaspora in the US and UK. Unfollowing these stars is their way of expressing protest against  aggressive tactics, and larger political narratives,” said the strategist.

Digital media expert Murtuza Rampurawala said the numbers directly reflect public sentiment. “When a lot of people unfollow at once, it’s a clear sign that public opinion is shifting. Brands pay close attention to this because they want to work with celebrities who reflect what their audience believes in,” he shared.

mid-day reached out to Meta India, which did not respond to our queries regarding the recent drop in follower count.