Uorfi Javed: India's most controversial influencer

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2023

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Uorfi Javed is one of the most searched for social media stars in Asia, but despite huge fame and popularity she says she struggles to get work as big brands refuse to sign her.

Uorfi Javed started out as a TV actress and became famous after wearing a dress made out of bin bags while in the Big Brother house. In this interview she tells us why she continues to dress however she likes despite criticism, how she works with paparazzi photographers to boost her profile and how much money she makes from her huge social media accounts.

Presenter / producer: Devina Gupta Image: Uorfi Javed; Credit: Leh Studios

Transcript

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0:00.0	Who are the top 10 unsung heroes of African football?
0:04.2	See if your picks made the list on Match of the Day, Africa, top 10.
0:08.3	It must be his best ever gone.
0:09.7	Starting next week.
0:15.9	When you think of a place where internet users are growing rapidly, you can't miss India.
0:23.2	Cheap data and low-cost mobile phones have made it possible for millions to be part of
0:28.6	the digital world of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube.
0:33.7	And this has given rise to a big market of digital content creators or social media influencers.
0:41.6	And among them is 24-year-old Urfey Javed.
0:46.6	I scream attention. I want attention.
0:50.0	A small-time television actor turned fashion influencer
0:54.5	who now boasts of over 4 million followers on Instagram.
0:59.6	My post should at least have maybe millions of likes, millions of people engaging on that post.
1:06.0	Indian paparazzi follows her wherever she goes.
1:11.2	She was the most searched Asian on Google last year.
1:15.4	And there are many Instagram accounts trying to copy her style.
1:19.6	So one would think that she is a successful social media celebrity, right?
1:25.5	But believe it or not, she faces an equal amount of online hate and big brands
1:31.3	are not willing to work with her yet. I have achieved popularity, yes. Fame, yes. Work, no.
1:40.9	Hello and Namaste. I'm Divina Gupta and this is Business Daily.
1:46.2	And in this edition, we are talking about India's most controversial influencer, Urfi Javed.
1:57.6	Urfi's story to be an influencer starts in Mumbai,
	...

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