Karnataka’s 10 biggest social media moments in 2018

Let’s all agree to the fact that social media is more than just a platform for networking. Be it social issues, natural calamities, politics, sports or entertainment, the trending hashtags ensure that you have all the information you need about what’s going on in your city, as well as globally. The year 2018 has had a number of social media moments worth looking back at.We have zeroed in on a few hashtags that have particularly trended in Karnataka…

Sixty thousand retweets is not a joke. Yes, that is the score of a candid video put up by ‘Captain Fantastic’ Sunil Chhetri. In the clip, the Bengaluru FC skipper was seen appealing to fans across India to fill the stadiums for the Intercontinental Cup 2018. Loved by everyone, this post earned him the ‘most retweeted tweet of the year’ title.

It began in Kerala, where one of the worst monsoons in 100 years. nearly inundated the entire state. Shortly after, the rain wreaked havoc closer home in namma Kodagu, Relief operations in both states ensured that the hashtags trended online for a while. Then, in September, social media was bombarded with posts about rains in Bengaluru.

The landmark Supreme Court verdict announced in September, repealing parts of the archaic Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, meant a new ‘azaadi’ for individuals belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community. In tune with the entire nation, Karnataka too registered moments of joy and relief on the digital space through this hashtag. Meanwhile, many also used it to share their personal stories, which were both heart-breaking and inspiring.

After making an impact abroad, the #MeToo movement shook India a little earlier in the year. Several big names, which included those from the media, film and TV industries, were ousted through this movement, which had people talking about how women were finally being heard. As the movement gained momentum, Karnataka also saw a few names surfacing across the state, leading to the #MeTooIndia hashtag trending here as well.

Sandalwood’s beloved Rebel Star breathed his last this year and while fans showed up in huge numbers to witness the last journey of their favourite icon in person, they also expressed their love for him online. Film industry celebs and political personalities also took to social media to express their sorrow and recount their fond memories of the late actor. Rare pictures, the actor’s most famous roles, tributes, were some of the many topics people posted about as they paid a virtual homage to the star.

Once again, the ISRO made India proud and put our name in the news for all the right reasons. Earlier this month, the heaviest, largest and most-advanced high communication satellite of India, GSAT-11, was launched successfully from Kourou Launch Zone on board Ariane 5 VA246 launch vehicle. Mission accomplished!

This was arguably the Kannada film industry’s biggest moment of glory so far this year. The trailer made Yash, Prashanth Neel and the rest of the team household names across the nation. The trailer, released in the four South Indian languages and in Hindi, had everyone talking about it. With people tipping this film as the next Baahubali from the South, #KGFTrailer did more than just trend online.

The Machiavellian villain, a righteous cop and a story filled with pure machismo, Tagaru had just what the masses wanted. Little wonder, then, that it was the talking point in the beginning of the year. The title track, the characters and the posters kept the film trending online for a while, even after its release.

With Sudeep and Shivarajkumar together for the first time, along with Amy Jackson and Kannada cinema’s showman Prem at the helm of affairs, how could one not talk about this film. While fans kept talking about The Villain before the release, fan wars and mixed reviews kept it alive even after the release.

Bengaluru girl Deepika Padukone wed her co-star and fellow Bollywood royalty Ranveer Singh in lavish ceremonies. Social media pages were flooded with details about their fairy-tale wedding. What the couple wore, who made it to the guest list, what was on the menu of the wedding feast, who were the caterers — people wanted to know every teensy detail, and each scoop was retweeted with vigour. It was one of the most discussed weddings of the year, indeed!

The election season in Karnataka took twitterati by storm. With over three million mentions in just about 3 weeks, the twitter universe was flooded with discussions regarding the elections. What was also notable was that the final results were on par with the number of mentions on Twitter. It became one of the state elections that was most discussed on Twitter.