Fan following: Celebrities talk about crazy experiences with their admirers

What are fans without celebrities? And what are celebrities without fans? They both complement each other and are almost incomplete without each other! But fans do go the extra mile, and sometimes in unpleasant ways, just to please their favorite public figure. Celebrities share their experiences…

Selfie problems

Sara Khan

This happens to me most of the time now, but back in the day, when it happened for the first time, I felt a little awkward when a fan asked me to click a selfie for him or her. That gave me a strange feeling and I politely asked them to click themselves!

Dear followers

Delnaaz Irani

I feel truly blessed to have such great fans all over the world. I remember there was a sweet teenage girl from Delhi and another fan from Scotland. She always reached out via Instagram and messaged my team to contact me. She was so head over heels about my work! I’m fortunate to have fans worldwide, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I haven’t had any extreme or crazy encounters with fans; most were incredibly sweet and sent thoughtful gifts, blessings, and heartfelt messages. While I haven’t had any wild fan stories, I am grateful for the wonderful, supportive fans I have.

All in good spirit

Dipshikkha Naggpal

I have so many crazy fan stories! Almost everyone who meets me says, “I had a crush on you when I was younger,” and sometimes they look like uncles! But it’s all in good spirit, and the selfie trend certainly makes it interesting. One time a fan came up to me and wanted to recreate a scene I had completely forgotten about. He was such a big fan that he even reenacted it with enthusiasm. Then there was a woman who came up to me and said, ‘My husband is a big fan of yours; please take a picture with us!” She even gave me instructions and said, “Stand next to him; put your hand on his shoulder – don’t worry, I don’t mind!’ It was funny how precise her instructions were!

Scary, yet fun

Deekshha Sonalkar Tham

A few years ago, I was shooting for my show Hasmukh at Lucknow airport. Although part of the airport had been cleared so the actors could walk to and from the vanity, a crowd hovered there. After we packed up, I was escorted back to the vanity by the security guard to avoid the crowd, but somehow people still managed to squeeze in to take selfies. There was so much chaos that my makeup artist, who was walking with me, had to pull a luggage cart and ask me to get on it. And she pushed her way through the crowd, straight to the vanity! It was a scary experience to see so many people together, but it was also fun to be pushed onto the trolley.

Pure love

Aadesh Chaudhary

As an actor I have had the privilege of meeting many enthusiastic fans, but one experience stands out. During a fan meet-and-greet, a young girl, shaking with excitement, asked for a selfie. As we posed, she burst into tears, overwhelmed with emotion. Her tears turned to smiles as I hugged her and signed her favorite dialogue.