A video of actor and entrepreneur Rhiya Ahir, one of the protesters in Mumbai on Wednesday, standing in front of a police van to seek the release of detained students quickly became one of the most widely shared visuals from the protests. Within hours, it had spread across social media and television screens, prompting conversations around whether she had become the defining face of the movement.
The attention around the video also raises a larger question. In an age where social media can elevate someone overnight, are Gen Z’s protest icons emerging differently from those of previous generations? And for brands that constantly seek to understand young consumers, what do these figures reveal about the values that resonate with them?
Ashok Lalla, independent marketing and digital advisor, believes the instinct to rally behind symbolic figures is hardly new. “It’s not really about Gen Z,” he says. “It’s about the youngest generation of the time raising their voices and standing up for their beliefs and demanding change.”
He points to student movements during India’s freedom struggle, the Flower Power movement of the 1960s and demonstrations across Asia, Europe and America as examples of young people becoming the public face of wider causes.
What has changed, according to Lalla, is the speed at which those faces are recognised. “The always-on nature of social media, and the power to create, share and participate being freely available to everyone, has shifted control over narratives from the establishment and large media to virtually anyone with a phone, a social media account and a message to share.”
That democratisation has made it easier for one video to capture public attention, but experts caution against assuming that visibility automatically creates lasting influence.
“The video and images from the incident have a shelf life of about two weeks. The message underneath it doesn’t,” says marketing and revenue strategist Kshitij Kulkarni. For him, the conversation is less about whether Ahir becomes a permanent symbol and more about why audiences rallied around that video in the first place.
“What she did took real nerve. Most people with large followings would never place themselves between a police van and where it’s going,” he says. “Her following didn’t make that video or image travel. The act did.”
Kulkarni also challenges the idea that Gen Z is replacing established figures with unknown individuals. “Institutions used to decide who mattered to young people, and they decided in advance. Now the crowd decides, in retrospect, based on one unrehearsed act.” For marketers, he says, that distinction is significant because credibility is increasingly earned rather than manufactured.
Shravan Ajay, Founder and Creative Director of The Content Theory, sees the video as another reminder that young audiences are drawn to people whose actions appear genuine rather than carefully curated. “Gen Z doesn’t just amplify content; it amplifies values,” he says. “When a moment like this resonates at scale, it often reflects qualities like authenticity, courage, humour or resilience.”
That, however, does not mean brands should attempt to insert themselves into such conversations. “Brands shouldn’t chase the trend itself. They should understand the underlying emotion driving it,” says Ajay, adding that audiences are quick to distinguish between genuine conviction and opportunism.
Within two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue, several celebrities who had initially remained silent also shared their views on social media. But communication experts believe the attention surrounding Ahir’s video points to a broader question of who comes to represent a movement in the public imagination.
Rati Acharya, Founder and CEO of Evoque Consulting, believes influence today is no longer concentrated among a handful of familiar faces. “There was a time when culture moved through a small number of famous faces, then through influencers who built an audience over the years,” she says. “Now, someone can become the defining image of a generation just by staying steady in a moment that mattered.”
Whether Ahir goes on to become the defining face of this phase of student protests is something only time can tell. History has shown that some images come to represent an era, while others fade as public attention shifts. What is undeniable, however, is that in the age of social media, a single individual can quickly come to embody a larger public conversation, regardless of whether they sought that role.
For brands, these moments are less an invitation to participate than an opportunity to observe. Student protests and other public movements remain deeply sensitive subjects, and communication experts caution against treating them as marketing opportunities or jumping into the conversation without a clear and credible reason. Instead, they suggest brands pay attention to what these moments reveal about younger audiences, the people they choose to rally for, and the values they respond to.
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