Twitter’s recent decision to remove the blue tick verification from all accounts has caused quite a stir in social media. Celebrities from all over the globe have been affected, including some of Bollywood’s biggest names.
One of the most prominent Indian actors, Amitabh Bachchan, responded humorously to losing his blue tick verification. He tweeted, “T 4623 – Ae Twitter bhaiya! Sun rahe he? Ab to paisa bhi bhardiye hein hum… tohou jo neelkamal (green tick emoticon) hot he na, hamar naam keaagey, u toh vapas lagaye de bhaiya, taaki log jaan jaaye ki hum hi hein- Amitabh Bachchan… haath toh jor liye he hum, Ab ka god wajodepadi ka??” (Oh Twitter brother? Now I have paid the money too… so that blue mark is there, right? Put it back brother, so that people know that I am the real Amitabh Bachchan… I am here with folded hands. Now, shall I fold my knees too?)
His tweet received thousands of responses, with fans and followers expressing their disappointment at Twitter’s decision.
Other Bollywood stars who lost their blue tick verification include Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Alia Bhatt. While some fans were outraged, comedian and actor Vir Das took a more relaxed approach. He tweeted, “I prefer verifying an artist by buying tickets rather than ticks. If someone wants to impersonate me on Twitter, be my guest.”
Despite the uproar caused by removing the blue tick verification, Twitter’s decision has had one positive effect. It has highlighted the importance of verifying an artist’s identity through means other than social media. With the rise of fake accounts and impersonators, it is more important than ever for fans to verify the identity of the people they follow.
