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Meet Ankush Bahuguna – First Indian Male Beauty Influencer To Debut At Cannes Film Festival

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Ankush Bahuguna-The Reel Stars

Beauty content creator Ankush Bahuguna has worked his way up to become one of the biggest names in the Indian beauty and comedy content creation spaces with over a million followers on his social media handles. An inspiration to many male make-up artists for breaking the stereotype and stigmas around gender equality, Ankush is creating history by becoming the first male beauty influencer from India to grace the Cannes Film Festival this year.

31 year old Ankush’s entry into the Cannes Film Festival will mark a significant milestone in digital and fashion history. His journey to Cannes is a testament to his resilience and determination. Overcoming childhood struggles with self-doubt and bullying, he has emerged as a beacon of confidence, inspiring countless individuals along the way.

“It’s a substantial victory and a door-opener for many more to come”

On his Cannes debut this year, Ankush told WION, “Walking the Cannes Red Carpet seemed beyond my wildest dreams. It truly shows that with belief and hard work, you can achieve the extraordinary. I am immensely proud to see men’s beauty, particularly from South Asia, gain global recognition. This milestone at Cannes is not just a personal triumph but a significant step forward for South Asian representation in beauty and fashion. It marks a pivotal moment for the acceptance of men’s beauty on a worldwide stage. It’s a substantial victory and a door-opener for many more to come.”

About Ankush Bahuguna

Ankush did a five-year course in architecture only to realize he’s more passionate about writing and video content creation. His journey started with making comedy sketches and later diversified into lifestyle, travel, beauty, and skincare content. He is the first Indian beauty creator to have his own YouTube show ‘Wing it With Ankush’ in collaboration with Lakme India, featuring popular celebs where he chronicles his journey and experiments with cosmetics. His insights continue to empower beauty enthusiasts with the knowledge they need to feel confident and radiant. Last year, he was seen in a short film Badboli Bhavna.

He has won the Bloggers and Social Media Big Entertainment Award and Cosmopolitan Male Beauty Influencer of the Year in 2022. He was also the first male beauty creator who made it to the cover of Forbes magazine and was featured on the Forbes list of India’s top digital creators of 2023. He also made his runway debut with celebrity stylist Esha Amin at the Lakme Fashion Week in 2023.

Cannes Film Festival 2024

The Cannes Film Festival is set to return for its 77th edition, showcasing the finest in global cinema from May 14th to May 25th in the iconic setting of the French Riviera. The festival will open with Quentin Dupieux’s French-language comedy “The Second Act,” featuring Lea Seydoux and Vincent London.

Dharini Sanghavi is an entertainment journalist, and mom to a son. She has more than 13 years of experience and has worked with TellyChakkar and Koimoi. She is a social bird and is self-motivated by nature!

Entertainment

When Dolly Singh And These Other Influencers Shut Body Shaming

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Dolly Singh-The Reel Stars

Popular influencer (and now actress) Dolly Singh, with an impressive fan following of more than 1.6 million on Instagram, impressed us all with her acting debut with the film ‘Thank You For Coming.’ However, recently she shared a poignant note on dealing with body shaming and her long journey of accepting her body.

There is no denying that Dolly Singh has always been vocal about feeling insecure about her body. On May 15, 2024, the social media influencer took to her Instagram handle and shared a moving note, stating, “I hope I am someone’s safe space”.

In her picture note, Dolly opened up about her experience of being skinny and always worrying about her fluctuating weight. She wrote: “Like most people, my weight fluctuates too. Being on the naturally Skinny side of the spectrum, I tend to lose weight easily (when I don’t want to), and it’s hard to put it back on. Last few months of finishing up the house, adulting and stressing took away the few good kgs I had gained over the last few years.

Honestly, this time I wasn’t worry about it. I know that if 1 get back on my routine, workout, eat on time and with intention, I’ll slowly get there. There is no hurry. I love my body now. I love my body in every state because it supports me. However, I have come to believe that and honestly, I feel proud about that. I have grown up despising my body shaming, hating every bit of it, so this…is growth.”

She added, “But as much as I have accepted it to shapeshift every now and then, people around me don’t. And the other day, as I was about to go see someone, I decided against it because I realized they’re not my safe space. That I’m sure they’ll have something to say about my weight. About my lost ‘glow’ or whatever term they’d wanna use to make me believe it’s out of care (maybe it is, but keep it to yourself unless asked).”

Dolly Singh further elaborated, “It doesn’t hurt the 30 year old me, but the 13 year old? It takes me back to the bad days sometimes. Anyway, point is, I realised that there are only a few people and places in my life where I can go however I want to, it doesn’t matter what I look like, what I am wearing or what my weighing scale says, I will receive love. My home is still not one. Maybe someday. If you could do something today, try to be someone’s safe space. And count your own blessings of people in your life who don’t care about the kgs fluctuating but the smiles on your face.”

This is not the first time that a celeb or an influencer has come out in the open and spoken about being body-shammed in public and trolled on their social media.

Kusha Kapila

Actress and content creator Kusha Kapila, who recently had a transformation and has gone on the fitter side, has faced body shaming throughout her life. In her previous interview, she revealed that she and her sister had issues with their weight and when they hit puberty, they gained weight. Even her mother, in her mid-30s, gain weight, and they would collectively get fat-shame. She recalled being call “Moti maa, moti betiya…”. She mentioned how her mother used to measure her and her sister’s weight every week as well.

Prableen Kaur Bhomrah

Beauty and fashion influencer Prableen Kaur Bhomrah is known for her body-positive content. She breaks the norms and old-age thinking that girls can only look good in a mirror-glass figure. Her content revolves around changing the mindset and inspiring women to accept their bodies just the way it is. In one of her posts, Prableen shared a big note on how trolls and body shaming have made her stronger and accepted the way it is. She wrote, “I don’t know about you but hating my body didnt get me very far.

Hating my body lead me to constantly doubt myself, compare myself, find myself using tons of filters and hold myself back from embracing my true body because I didn’t think I was worth it! Now let’s think about how far LOVING my body has got me. It’s help me build my dream life with my dream career, incredible friendships and have newfound strength and confidence within myself. It also made me realise how I should be working on my body for myself rather than for the perception of others.”

Komal Pandey

Fashion influencer Komal Pandey became part of online trolling and that too on her birthday. After Komal shared exotic pictures of her on Instagram, looking flawless in a yellow outfit, she was shocked to see the comment section filled with negative remarks calling her “anorexic” and “malnourished”. However, she smacked trollers with the ultimate response! She penned a long note on her Instagram story about living a “highly health-conscious lifestyle” and having a “dedicated nutritionist who carefully designs her diet.” Komal also stated that she exercises regularly and is guide by an expert trainer. She wrote, “She wrote, “It is important to understand that everyone’s body is unique and responds differently to various lifestyles. It is very important to avoid making assumptions or using derogatory terms such as anorexic or suggesting that I may have an eating disorder. Such labels/false claims are hurtful.”

Sameera Reddy

Actress turned influencer Sameera Reddy, known as ‘Messy Mama’ on Instagram and who has always been vocal about dealing with body shaming, recently shared her experience of how maintaining her appearance impacted her mental and physical health. She reportedly shared, “As a teenager, I was a chubby girl. Furthermore, feeling different from what I believe ‘beautiful’ was supposed to be. The definition of being beautiful is something all young girls struggle with. Besides, after becoming an actor, my insecurities multiplied a hundredfold. It reached a point where I experienced self-loathing.

The scrutiny I imposed on myself was more severe than the scrutiny I received from others. Many times, I risked my mental and physical health to maintain a certain size. I did the most ridiculous things, such as trying fad diets and working out endlessly post-shoot. What I did back then has resulted in hormonal imbalances now. The consequences catch up with age, and today I’m saddened by the choices I made. Back then, I didn’t feel I had any other option, and in a competitive market. Moreover, you do what you think is right because you believe it’s necessary.”

Neha Parulkar

Plus-size and proud of it. We are talking about Neha Parulkar, who is a popular model and fashion influencer. Neha, in one of her old posts, mention that there has never been a single day when she hadn’t been body shamed. She wrote, “I am so happy to see that people on social media are raising their voices and coming forward and speaking their mind. Moreover, whether protecting or opposing keeping in mind the current situation of #India. It takes courage to voice your opinion.

It takes more courage to take a stand. But what surprises me is; if you can gather the courage and have the strength. Besides, to stand against some injustice that you see around you. Furthermore, how can you not stand up for yourself against the battle of #BodyShaming. Isn’t that important too? Standing up, being courageous, giving it back to the haters? Why are we openly voicing out on social problems? Because we know that there might be someone or the other who might understand what we saying. And why don’t we do that for ourselves?

Because we are still afraid that the society won’t understand or support. But did we care what people might think when we voiced our opinions and took a stand for our views? No we didn’t. We went ahead and did/shared/commented/supported what we FELT was right. So why do we hesitate doing the same for our own life? Our own body? All this only means that we do possess #courage and #strength , we just don’t use it to our full potential. It’s NEVER TOO LATE to stand up for yourself, your identity, your body shaming, your life. It’s yours and you have to protect it!”

Sakshi Sidhwani

Fashion influencer Sakshi Sidhwani in one of her previous interviews shared. However, how on her first video itself she was being trolled and body shamed. She was quoted, “My first series on Instagram Reels, which was about breaking fashion stereotypes, originated from hate comments. I was wearing a crop top and someone wrote something along the lines that I was looking too flabby and my stomach shouldn’t show. So that comment inspired a whole series where I agree with the troll that yes. However, a girl like me shouldn’t be wearing this and then in the next frame I am being my boss self.”

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Lifestyle Influencer Jainam Vora to Pursue Passion For Acting with a SonyTV Show

Jainam Vora popularly known as Vorasahab on Instagram will be seen with friend Snehil Mehra aka BC aunty in an episode of SonyTV’s show

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Influencer Jainam Vora Returns to Acting: To Be Seen on SonyTV

After a notable hiatus from the small screen, popular lifestyle influencer Jainam Vora, fondly known as Vorasahab on Instagram, is making a triumphant return to television. Sony TV’s popular comedy show, Madness Machayenge – India Ko Hasayenge, is set to feature Vora in a special star-studded episode. Besides, promising viewers the usual episode of laughter and entertainment.

Renowned for his captivating lifestyle and fashion content, Jainam’s return to television is eagerly awaited by fans. Jainam conveyed his enthusiasm regarding his forthcoming appearance on ‘Madness Machayenge’, expressing that participating in the show had been exhilarating. He mentioned that comedy on television had always been his passion and collaborating with his dear friend. Moreover, Snehil Mehra aka bc aunty, had been an absolute delight, adding that her talent constantly inspired him.

On being asked about the passion for acting and the reason behind doing the show. Furthermore, Jainam Vora exclusively told The Reelstars,

“I always have dreamt of becoming an actor but just need to brush up my acting skills. Back during the Tik Tok days, it was a fun banter making videos with my dear friend Snehil and when she asked me to perform alongside her in the show, I instantly agreed. This was a fun character. With this, I wish to continue acting and someday I wish to work alongside Aditi Rao Hyadari and Deepika Padukone.”

He has earlier been a part of SAB TV’s Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma and now his brings his infectious personality. However, to add an extra layer of excitement to the already popular program.

The show is hosted by the popular stand-up comedian Harsh Gujral, the show promises unique kind of humour and entertainment. The show will also feature Bollywood sensation Mallika Sherawat and a star-studded lineup that presents sketches and comic acts.

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Stray Kids Make History: First K-Pop Band At Met Gala 2024

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kpop group stray kids walk the met gala carpet - the reel stars

Noticed the K-Pop group that walked the Met carpet alongside all your favourite stars? If you don’t know them already, here’s the tea on “Stray Kids.” Stray Kids exploded onto the K-pop scene in 2018, quickly becoming one of the most influential groups of the 4th generation. Their recent achievements, including a history-making Met Gala debut and yesterday’s appearance on Good Morning America, solidify their position as a global K-pop force. There’s more than just BTS and BLACKPINK, you know?

Watch the latest Stray Kids MV here!

Meet the members!

Chan, HAN, and Changbin Lead the Way

Stray Kids differentiate themselves through their self-produced music. The sub-unit 3RACHA, consisting of Bang Chan, the group’s charismatic leader, the witty rapper HAN, and the hard-hitting Changbin, spearhead the creative direction. Their dedication to crafting meaningful lyrics and captivating melodies shines through in tracks like “God’s Menu” and “Maniac,” which showcase their fierce rap verses and powerful beats. But Stray Kids also delve into introspective themes. Songs like “Hellevator” and “Your Eyes,” penned by 3RACHA, offer heartfelt messages of overcoming challenges and finding inner strength, resonating deeply with their global fanbase, the ever-loyal STAY.

Lee Know, Hyunjin, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N.

While 3RACHA lays the musical foundation, the full eight-member lineup brings Stray Kids’ vision to life. Lee Know, the group’s main dancer, captivates audiences with his sharp moves and captivating stage presence. Hyunjin, another exceptional dancer with undeniable charisma, elevates every performance with his captivating expressions. Felix, the sunshine of the group, brings boundless energy and infectious enthusiasm to the stage, while his unique deep voice adds another layer to their musical tapestry. Seungmin, the group’s soulful vocalist, delivers powerful vocals that tug at heartstrings, and I.N., the youngest member, boasts impressive rapping skills and a smooth vocal tone that complements his bandmates perfectly. Together, these eight talented individuals create a synergy that is both powerful and electrifying.

Award-Winning Success: Recognition for Talent and Dedication

Stray Kids’ commitment to their craft hasn’t gone unnoticed. They’ve already been showered with tens of prestigious awards since their debut, including the “Group/Duo of the Year” at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards and the “Top K-Pop Album” at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. And if you ask the STAY fandom, they’re nowhere near enough.

A Historic Met Gala Debut and Good Morning America Takeover

The 2024 Met Gala wasn’t just about fashion; it was a momentous occasion for K-pop. Stray Kids, in custom Tommy Hilfiger outfits. Besides, became the first K-pop group to ever grace the red carpet at this prestigious event. While other K-Pop artists have attended, a whole group has never attended the carpet together. This historic debut marked a significant step forward for global recognition of K-pop. Moreover, STAYs worldwide celebrated this achievement with immense pride.

But the celebrations didn’t stop there. Fresh off their Met Gala appearance, Stray Kids embarked on an American takeover, gracing the stage of Good Morning America. Fans tuned in eagerly as the group answered questions with their signature charm and delivered a high-energy performance of their latest single. The cherry on top? Stray Kids confirmed a world tour later this year, sending STAYs into a frenzy of excitement.

With their great music, and ever-growing fanbase. Furthermore, Stray Kids are a force to be reckoned with in the global music scene. Their historic Met Gala appearance and electrifying Good Morning America performance are just the latest chapters in their remarkable story. STAYs can rest assured that Stray Kids will continue to conquer the world. However, one song (and red carpet) at a time.

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