But now? We’ve got a whole new class of real-life drama queens and kings. And no, they’re not influencers — they’re billionaires, Bollywood bigwigs, and Hollywood A-listers who’ve swapped hush-hush deals for digital duels.
In the good ole’ days, stars and tycoons settled differences with lawyers, legacy and a bit of class. Now? It’s emojis, subtweets, and ego wars in 280 characters or less.
Welcome to the new-age colosseum — where Elon Musk and Donald Trump are sparring like uncles in a WhatsApp family group.
The app may be rebranded, but the behaviour? Still pure playground!
So, here’s the real tea: Have our public figures truly lost the plot? Or have we, the ever-thirsty audience, just made public meltdowns a form of premium entertainment?
When Hollywood feuds become performance art
In Hollywood, drama isn’t confined to the screen. Taylor Swift vs. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian was practically a decade-long soap opera — complete with leaked calls, emoji warfare, and a hashtag (#KimExposedTaylorParty) that trended harder than any album. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B took things from Twitter shade to stilettos flying across New York Fashion Week. Meek Mill and Drake? A Twitter squabble that escalated into diss tracks and Grammy-worthy revenge.
Even Hollywood’s seemingly mild-mannered elite haven’t resisted. J.K. Rowling publicly scorched Piers Morgan in a viral tweet thread. Zayn Malik and Calvin Harris had a full-on musical morality war. Every feud becomes a headline, and every spat becomes a screenshot.
Bollywood is catching up — loudly
Back home, Bollywood is proving it can match the drama beat for beat.
Take Karan Johar vs. Ram Gopal Varma — a feud so long-running it deserves its own IMDb page. From mocking each other’s film sensibilities to throwing shade about box-office clout, these two directorial heavyweights have mastered the art of the indirect insult.
Twinkle Khanna once likened Chetan Bhagat’s judging skills to analysing “dog mess.”
Sonam Kapoor famously called Shobhaa De a “fossil,” only to walk it back when the internet turned up the heat.
What should’ve been a routine casting change morphed into a passive-aggressive PR war. Because in the current clout economy, silence is out — and shady tweets are in.
So who’s really to blame?
Why are the most powerful people — politicians, billionaires, actors — acting like they’re in a group chat with no moderator? Is this ego gone wild, or strategy masked as scandal?
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we might be the problem too.
We retweet the clapbacks. We fan the shade. We turn every digital tantrum into content — turning meltdowns into metrics and replacing diplomacy with drama.
Social media was supposed to democratise conversation. Instead, it has become a stage for ego-driven entertainment.
Our leaders, stars, and creatives now perform their grudges like viral episodes, and we, the loyal audience, keep showing up for the next one.
So the question remains: Have the Goliaths truly lost the plot — or are they just giving us what we keep asking for?
Top 6 entertainment X feuds that broke the internet
1. Taylor Swift vs. Kanye West & Kim Kardashian
Snake emojis, leaked calls, and a hashtag war that defined a decade.
2. Nicki Minaj vs. Cardi B
Shade online, shoes offline — the clash that shook the Met.
3. Karan Johar vs. Ram Gopal Varma
Years of veiled jabs and direct digs, no resolution in sight.
4. Sonam Kapoor vs. Shobhaa De
A “fossil” tweet that aged poorly — and forced an apology.
5. Sandeep Reddy Vanga vs. Deepika Padukone
She left Spirit. He liked shady tweets. The subtext screamed.
6. Meek Mill vs. Drake
A ghostwriting accusation that gave us legendary diss tracks.
Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema.
Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe.
Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons?
She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman.
From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.
