Once upon a scroll, the influencers we knew made headlines for collaborations, creative content, and well-filtered brunches. Today, however, the new fuel for virality is not relatability or even talent, it’s controversy. Call it digital drama or an outrage economy, but in India’s creator ecosystem, it seems that the fastest route to fame is paved with public backlash. As strange as it sounds, in 2025, getting ‘cancelled’ might just be the best way to get noticed.
Take Apoorva Mukhija, better known to her four million plus followers as ‘The Rebel Kid.’ Until recently, she was just another digital storyteller navigating the ever-crowded influencer landscape. Known for her sharp tongue, vulnerable monologues, and ‘no-filter’ aesthetic, Apoorva had built a steady community. But nothing catapulted her into national headlines like her ill-fated appearance on comedian Samay Raina’s once-popular YouTube show India’s Got Latent.
After a brief disappearance, post the backlash, both Samay and Apoorva made striking comebacks with quirky advertisements and even a reality show. Samay was also seen alongside Aamir Khan during the promotions of the film Sitare Zameen Par. And Apoorva regained her mojo returning with an appearance in a sit down conversation with Nikhil Taneja and more recently with her role in Prime Video reality show The Traitors.
The Controversy That Sparked a Surge
Apoorva Mukhija, a 24-year-old influencer renowned for her candid storytelling and unfiltered content, found herself in the eye of the storm following her appearance on Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent. The episode featured a contentious remark by fellow guest Ranveer Allahbadia, which, coupled with Apoorva’s own unfiltered comments, led to widespread backlash. The fallout was swift: multiple FIRs were lodged, the episode was removed from YouTube, and immense backlash followed on social media.
In the immediate aftermath, Apoorva took a step back, deleting all her Instagram posts and unfollowing everyone on the platform. However, this hiatus was short-lived. She returned with a powerful statement: “Don’t take away the story from the storyteller.” This comeback resonated with her audience, and her follower count surged, highlighting a paradox in digital culture where controversy can bolster an influencer’s prominence.
This wasn’t an isolated phenomenon. If anything, it mirrored a pattern already visible in India’s influencer scene. Elvish Yadav, Uorfi Javed, Gaurav Taneja—each of them has faced their own moment of intense scrutiny, sometimes for personal choices, other times for legal or ethical missteps. But instead of derailing their careers, these episodes helped achieve the opposite. In a hyper-digital world where attention is everything, even the wrong kind of attention is, paradoxically, right.
After a brief dip in visibility following the India’s Got Lalent controversy, stand-up comedian Samay Raina made a clever and humorous comeback with Knorr’s latest advertisement. Samay not only showcased his trademark wit but also demonstrated the power of humour in navigating public perception. His return was met with appreciation from fans and fellow creators alike, reaffirming his place in India’s comedy landscape.
Meanwhile, digital creator and entrepreneur Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, who also faced heat from the controversy returned with his podcast series. Building on the success of his YouTube channel and The Ranveer Show, the podcast’s recent guest was Kpop sensation Jackson Wang who was in India to promote his song.
Brand Perspectives: Navigating the Infamy
But where does that leave brands that rely on influencers to tell their stories? Are they comfortable piggybacking on controversial fame? Or does the whiff of scandal threaten to poison the brand’s carefully curated image?
According to HashFame’s Q1 report, creators like Neha Nagar, Apoorva Mukhija, and Sahiba Bali are leading brand engagement not by being the loudest, but by being consistent, relatable, and strategic. The top-performing creators share three key strengths: niche authority built on trust, consistently high audience engagement, and strong alignment with brand messaging.
From a brand’s standpoint, associating with controversial figures is a double-edged sword. Shivam Ranjan, Global Head of Brand, Motorola, emphasises the importance of aligning with influencers who can effectively communicate complex product features, particularly in the tech sector. He notes, “We strongly believe that we need those kinds of influencers, who are able to explain the product to the consumer, who are able to explain the benefits to the consumer and are able to give them the necessary details that they need to be able to come down to the consideration or the purchase intent funnel.”
Arvind Iyer, Head of Marketing, Piramal Finance, banks on a cautious approach, saying, “We haven’t gone that whole macro-influencer route. We must have done like two or three pieces here and there, staccato, nothing very big. We haven’t committed ourselves to that, but micro, we’re pretty out there.” This strategy underscores a preference for micro-influencers who offer hyperlocal engagement and align closely with brand values.
Assessing Risk and Reach
The question then becomes: how do agencies and marketing professionals separate the controversial from the cancelable?
Shweta Kaushal, Founder, Creatorcult Media Private Limited, provides insight into how agencies evaluate influencers embroiled in controversy. She states, “Controversies can lead to short-term spikes in visibility. However, reach driven by backlash doesn’t always translate to meaningful engagement or positive association.” Kaushal emphasises a holistic assessment of such profiles, considering sentiment trends and audience reactions, while maintaining brand safety as a priority.
When asked about collaborating with polarising influencers, Kaushal advocates for a values-first approach, she says, “High numbers can be tempting, but if a creator’s narrative doesn’t align with the brand’s positioning or ethos, it can lead to long-term reputational costs.”
Influencer Insights: Navigating the Rating Ecosystem
Still, some creators argue that these lines are blurry—and often unfairly drawn. Sarthak Ahuja, a finance creator with a growing presence on Instagram, points to the increasing influence of PR in shaping who gets rewarded in India’s influencer landscape.
He acknowledges industries’ independent bodies’ potential to recognise creators’ efforts but expresses concerns about fairness and transparency: “I would hope the jury is mindful of fairness and transparency in their selection, curation, and rating process. As of now, a great deal of PR anyway is responsible for who gets highlighted based on which talent management agency represents them.”
In the creator landscape there are independent bodies made up of agencies and creators that aim to make the creator landscape more compliant and transparent. Regarding compliance with the new rules, Ahuja remarks “They are fair asks. We are all for compliance with guidelines. I’m sure they will evolve to cover more things in the future, which may remain unanswered for now.”
But perhaps the most important evolution will come from audiences themselves. Because while it’s tempting to watch drama unfold like a Netflix binge complete with apology videos, reaction reels, and Instagram unfollowing wars, it also raises deeper questions. Are we rewarding bad behaviour? Is outrage becoming the new marketing strategy?
In the case of Apoorva Mukhija, her rise following the India’s Got Latent fiasco illustrates this paradox perfectly. She gained hundreds of thousands of followers not because of a campaign or a content pivot, but because she was in the eye of a cultural storm. She weathered it, rebranded her silence into strength, and in doing so, played a masterclass in digital resilience. Whether by accident or design, she became more than an influencer, she became a symbol of the era we’re in- messy, unpredictable, and powered by viral volatility.
This is the world we live in now. One where getting ‘cancelled’ can actually boost your career, where drama fuels discovery, and where breaking the internet often means breaking a few rules along the way. In the end, we’re all part of the show, some watching, some scrolling, and a few, like The Rebel Kid, figuring out how to turn a stumble into a spotlight.
