It was in 1990 that the original Aashiqui, starring Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal, was released. Both were unconventional, in their looks and talent, and their love story was one that was lapped up by millennials and Gen X. Though Aggarwal only did a handful of movies later, Roy went on to star in quite a few movies — some of them which gained cult status — including Junoon (where he played a man who turns into a tiger on a full-moon night) and Mahesh Bhatt’s Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi.

Cut to 2026, and the actor is facing intense trolling on social media. Why? He appeared in a Reel by a creator called Dr Vanita Ghadhage Desai, shot like an old-school music video set to the song Tere Dar Par Sanam (which is a song from one of Roy’s films itself). Why is it being mocked? Well, because it’s not aesthetic. And it’s on the handle of a not-so-fancy creator. And, because audiences feel Roy looks uninterested and bored.