What began as a small online faux pas involving cricketer Virat Kohli ended up seriously promoting actor Avneet Kaur’s online popularity and brand worth. Last week, Kohli found himself at the center of a peculiar controversy after social media users caught his account liking a photo posted by a fan page devoted to Avneet Kaur.
The exchange, although later reversed, went viral on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. The fan page posted a screenshot of the ‘like’ on Stories, which triggered huge online buzz. Kohli soon spoke about the issue publicly. In an Instagram Story, he said, “I wanted to just say that in clearing out my feed, it looks like the algorithm somehow defaulted and registered an interaction. It was absolutely not intentional. I implore people not to jump to conclusions. Thank you for understanding.”
Even with this disclaimer, memes overwhelmed the internet—many of them poking fun at using the words ‘registered an interaction’ and both Kohli and Avneet trended on social media over the weekend.
Avneet Kaur Benefits Huge
Though the frenzy was fleeting for Kohli, it became a bonanza for Avneet. The actor’s social media profile experienced a quick surge, picking up more than 1 million new fans within a couple of days. Her Instagram followers now total 31.8 million.
The value of Avneet’s Instagram posts increased by 30%, from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 22.6 lakh, as per digital analytics company BuzzCraft. The unexpected boom also earned her 12 brand endorsements within a few weeks of the incident. Social media strategist Neha Kapoor called the incident “organic marketing gold,” explaining how such instances are infrequent and highly advantageous for digital influencers.
The Rise of Avneet Kaur
Avneet Kaur first entered the spotlight as a child contestant on Zee TV’s Dance India Dance Li’l Masters. She transitioned to acting with her debut in Meri Maa (2012) and gained further popularity through TV shows like ‘Savitri – Ek Prem Kahani’, ‘Ek Mutthi Aasmaan’, ‘Chandra Nandini’, and ‘Aladdin – Naam Toh Suna Hoga’. She first appeared on screen with Mardaani followed by ‘Qarib Qarib Singlle’ and ‘Mardaani 2’. She got her first lead film role in ‘Tiku Weds Sheru’.
While the unintentional ‘like’ persisted as a social media faux pas, it evolved into a career highlight for Avneet, a development that increased her online popularity and market value overnight.
