Twitter, under the direction of Elon Musk, has started to eliminate the legacy blue verification ticks that previously authenticated public figures, celebrities, and politicians on the platform. As many global stars woke up to find their verification marks removed, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan humorously addressed the situation with a request directed to Twitter. Almost immediately, users flooded the comments section with supportive messages for the veteran actor’s plea to Musk.
Bachchan, in his characteristic fashion, tweeted about his predicament, noting that he had yet to be verified even after subscribing to Twitter Blue to maintain his blue tick. This tweet, which was notable for its humor, featured him referring to the blue tick as a ‘neel kamal’ (blue lotus), expressing his hope for its return.
The beloved ‘Sholay’ star articulated his need for the blue tick to reassure his followers that his account is indeed authentic, distinguishing it from the numerous fan-created profiles. He humorously asked Twitter what more he needed to do to get his verification back, jokingly inquiring if he should join his hands in a traditional gesture of respect.
“T 4623 – Twitter brother! Are you listening? Now that I’ve paid the money too, please restore that blue lotus ✔️ next to my name, brother, so that people know it’s truly me – Amitabh Bachchan. I’ve already joined my hands; do I need to bow down, as well?” the 80-year-old actor wrote.
Bachchan’s devoted fans endeavored to bring his situation to Elon Musk’s attention, highlighting the peculiarity of India’s ‘Mahanayak’ being without his verification badge on Twitter.
T 4623 – ए twitter भइया ! सुन रहे हैं ? अब तो पैसा भी भर दिये हैं हम … तो उ जो नील कमल :heavy_check_mark: होत है ना, हमार नाम के आगे, उ तो वापस लगाय दें भैया , ताकि लोग जान जायें की हम ही हैं – Amitabh Bachchan .. हाथ तो जोड़ लिये रहे हम । अब का, गोड़वा :footprints:जोड़े पड़ी का ??
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 21, 2023
On April 21, numerous international celebrities and prominent public figures lost their blue verification ticks, including Indian superstars like Shah Rukh Khan, Virat Kohli, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Even the official account of The Pope, @Pontifex, initially saw the removal of its verification mark.
Musk contributed to the conversation when he responded to comments on Twitter, sharing an insight that sparked a wave of complaints regarding fairness and generated memes across the platform.
The Twitter CEO disclosed that he was personally funding the verification badges for three notable celebrities: actor William Shatner, basketball great LeBron James, and author Stephen King.
Pop icon Selena Gomez, who boasts 67 million followers on Twitter, also lost her blue tick amongst the others affected.
The decision to monetize Twitter’s verification badge emerged as part of Musk’s strategy to address the platform’s declining advertising revenue. Despite facing backlash, Musk proceeded with the removal of legacy check marks that were previously granted following a verification process by a team of analysts.
In India, the cost for Twitter Blue is set at Rs. 900 for a monthly subscription or a discounted Rs. 9,400 for a yearly plan.
