01 December,2025 09:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Anindita Paul
(Left) The cancellation of Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana’s wedding sparked a factory of online rumours. Pic Courtesy/@CricCrazyJohns
Until November 23, Smriti Mandhana's name was being taken by fans across the country in revered tones. After all, she was part of the history-making âwomen in blue' team that gave India its first-ever World Cup in women's cricket. But that changed when her wedding to music composer Palash Muchhal was abruptly called off on their wedding day. Immediately, social media began buzzing with wild theories - unfounded allegations, rumours, trolling and even threats - reaching an almost deafening crescendo each time a new theory is either conjured up or dismantled. The intensity of their scrutiny and the invasive nature of this type of fandom have earned this breed of fans the newly minted moniker of âparasocial parasites'. And the episode in question bears all the tell-tale markers of the volatile relationships that fans can cultivate with their heroes.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement announcement went viral on social media within the hour. Pic Courtesy/@taylorswift
Let's rewind to this August, when pop sensation Taylor Swift thrilled millions of her fans globally, with her surprise engagement to her footballer beau Travis Kelce. So delirious were her fans that the post announcing the news racked up 14 million âlikes' on Instagram within an hour of its being shared. The carousel of pictures was also reposted a record-breaking million times in merely six hours. Across the world, fans congratulated Swift and each other, expressing an outpouring of joy that's typically reserved for close friends or family members. But then, Swifties (as these fans call themselves) are anything but garden-variety music lovers. Their love for the pop star is so fervent and personal that it even inspired Cambridge Dictionary's choice for its Word of the Year for 2025 - âparasocial relationships'.
If the term âparasocial' sounds particularly clinical, that's because it is. Coined by sociologists Donald Horton and R Richard Wohl in their 1956 paper titled âMass Communication and Para-Social Interaction', it combines the word âsocial' with the Greek-derived âpara' prefix, which means âclosely resembling'. Put together, it describes an inherently one-sided relationship that typically exists between a fan and their favoured celebrity. However, as Dr Nahid Dave, a psychiatrist at Thought Matters, explains, in a broader context, parasocial relationships can be developed with fictional characters or, more recently, with AI chatbots as well.
From fan to devotee
"The fan in a parasocial relationship feels a sense of closeness, relatedness or familiarity with the celebrity of their liking. This relationship can even be a form of emotional support or lead the fan to discover certain aspects of their personality that were hitherto closed off. Such revelations further deepen the bond from the fan's perspective," Dr Dave says. She notes that the phenomenon is not a recent one - even before the invention of modern media, people have been forming strong bonds with religious or political figures. The introduction of television, movies and, subsequently, social media has further amplified the intensity of parasocial relationships as well as the figures that become the object of such affections. Indian cinema has a long and prolific history of fans worshipping movie stars with an almost devotional quality - take, for example, the Arulmigu Rajini Kovil temple in Thirumangalam near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, which was built by a fan and features a 300 kg, 3.5 ft tall stone statue of the actor, or the Sanjay Dutt fan who left the actor all her possessions after succumbing to a terminal disease.
Zarna Baxi (right) attributes Shah Rukh Khan's affable public persona as the reason for her fandom. Pic Courtesy/@iamsrk
Some experts argue that the proliferation of social media and podcasts has further broken the fourth wall that exists between actors and their fans. Repeated exposure is also cited as one of the formative factors that lead to the development of parasocial attachment. The more frequently the fan consumes a celebrity's content, the more likely they are to believe that they, somehow, possess a more individualistic kinship with this celebrity. Dr Dave, however, believes that fans have become slightly more level-headed when it comes to celebrity worship, recognising more clearly the difference between reel and real. "The more intimate look that these platforms offer also makes stars more personable. Now, more people tend to think of celebrities as human beings instead of larger-than-life personas," she notes.
Decoding the fix
There are several reasons why some public figures attract more fervent fandoms than others - the fondness could either be aspirational or a subconscious attachment. For Andheri-based flight attendant Suniel Sharma, his fascination with Kareena Kapoor began with her debut in the 2000 film Refugee, and deepened as he continued to watch her updates, interviews and shows. "Her interviews have helped me to overcome my own shyness when addressing people and be a more confident public speaker. I think the reason why she appeals to me is because of how unapologetically herself she has been, at every stage of her career," the 41-year-old confesses.
Suniel Sharma (right) has been following Kareena Kapoor Khan's journey since her debut. Pic Courtesy/@kareenakapoorkhan
Zarna Baxi's love for Shah Rukh Khan has seen her go to great lengths to catch a glimpse of the superstar: "I've stood outside Mannat multiple times, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Once, in 2012, I was at the airport to drop my grandmother and found out that SRK was supposed to arrive there soon. I ended up waiting for five hours!" Beyond his performances as an actor or even the roles he has embodied, Baxi's love stems from the person she believes Khan to be: "For me, he is a true gentleman who has set the bar high for romance. The way he treats not only women, but also his colleagues and the public, is truly commendable. He is synonymous with success, confidence and stardom. For fans like me, he is the embodiment of the rags-to-riches story. He makes us believe that if you follow your dreams, they will become a reality," says the 29-year-old Kandivli-based marketing professional.
"In many cases, fans can't even put their finger on the exact reason; just that their subconscious has latched on to this person. It's also the reason why, when you sometimes meet certain people, you immediately bond with them and can talk to them as though you've known them for a long time," Dr Dave says.
That said, certain personality types are more prone to developing parasocial relationships - these include avoidant personalities who are afraid of developing attachments in the real world and maintain a distance socially, as well as anxious individuals who are extremely afraid of being hurt or not very willing to invest emotionally. The trouble starts when the fan begins to replace real relationships with their parasocial counterparts, or when the nature of the parasocial relationship takes on delusional or obsessive overtones. "Being mindful about the quantity and the nature of content you consume online and consciously cultivating meaningful relationships and friendships in the real world can help to foster self-differentiation, keeping you from enmeshing your identity too closely with that of a celebrity," Dr Dave says.
When AI intervenes
A more recent type of parasocial relationship is being fostered between AI chatbots and users. "The conversational nature of AI interactions, the emotive responses, and the sense of real-time responsiveness can deepen the illusion of a connection with the chatbot. These interactions can trick your subconscious into forming very real attachments with the chatbot, which can eventually result in emotional dependency and social isolation. Globally, we're also seeing concerns raised by parents about adolescents and teens being goaded into harmful kinds of behaviour by chatbots. With younger users, especially, parents must closely monitor AI interactions and actively coach children about the potential risks of AI dependence," Dr Dave concludes.
