Know the reason why netizens are trolling Vidya Balan for her latest PR post, where she supported Indian batsman Rohit Sharma
Vidya Balan has found herself at the center of online trolling after allegedly posting a PR-forwarded WhatsApp message hailing cricketer Rohit Sharma on her Instagram, a post she later deleted. The message praised Rohit’s decision to take a break from the ongoing Sydney Test against Australia due to his poor form. While many fans appreciated Vidya’s support for the cricketer, others quickly called her out for sharing a message that appeared to be part of a PR campaign.
Vidya Balan allegedly posted PR company’s WhatsApp message asking to praise cricketer Rohit Sharma on Instagram as memes go viral on Twitter/X
Instagram post of Mia Khalifa for Rohit Sharma 🇮🇳
– Ro, an emotion…!!!! pic.twitter.com/3nhbbfFp4j
— Muffadaal Parody (@muffadaal_vohra) January 4, 2025
How netizens reacted to Vidya Balan’s post?
Vidya had initially posted a heartfelt message on X, praising Rohit for his decision to take a pause: “Rohit Sharma, what a SUPERSTAR!! To take a pause & catch your breath requires courage … More power to you … Respect!! @ImRo45.” However, according to Reddit users, she had also posted a similar message on Instagram, only to delete it moments later upon realizing that the post was a WhatsApp screenshot of a forwarded PR message. The the veracity of this is yet to be confirmed though despite the screenshot going viral with Indian cricket team fans claiming Ritika and her brother Bunty Sajdeh were behind the PR activity to pain Rohit in a positive light.
Instagram story of Vidya Balan in support of Rohit sharma
She literally posted the screenshot of her chat with Rohit’s PR team 😂 pic.twitter.com/qnkmeb3HTP
— Dr Nimo Yadav Commentary (@niiravmodi) January 4, 2025
The incident sparked a wave of criticism on social media, with some users accusing both Vidya and fellow actor Farhan Akhtar, who had previously posted similar support for Rohit—of sharing PR-driven content rather than expressing genuine admiration for the cricketer. One Reddit user shared a screenshot of Vidya’s Instagram post, pointing out that it was deleted shortly after being shared. The accusation is that Rohit’s PR team sent the message to Vidya, prompting her to post it online.
Cricket twitter is so crazy man😭 pic.twitter.com/na2TCpRSPn
— a (@kollytard) January 4, 2025
On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), users mocked Vidya, questioning her authenticity, with one commenter even suggesting that she follow Rohit on Instagram before posting in his support. Some also made sarcastic remarks about the apparent “side effects” of her recent movie, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Others humorously implied that “washed-up actors” were now being paid to promote cricketers. A string of memes have meanwhile gone viral on Twitter/X with the hashtag Rohit’s PR with users making fake profiles of people like Tushar Kapoor, Manmohan Singh, Osama bin Laden and other famous personalities to praise Rohit Sharma.
Ritika Sajdeh is the co owner of Cornerstone Sports and Entertainment while Vidya Balan is represented by Dharma cornerstone agency which is a unit of same company! https://t.co/ZuLKaoLJH2 pic.twitter.com/UqUkTsrnSA
— ayaan. (@AyanMusk) January 4, 2025
Vidya Balan has yet to respond to the trolling surrounding her deleted post. Meanwhile, the actress’s recent commercial success came with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, which grossed over ₹423 crore worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Hindi film and the fifth-highest-grossing Indian film of 2024.
Rohit Sharma's PR is even ahead of Modi Ji's PR. https://t.co/1B3h1iI5Ak
— Narundar (@NarundarM) January 4, 2025