Dhinchak Pooja: What happened to India YouTube 'star' videos?
- Published
She was so bad, she was good. Or at least that's what those who shared her videos say.
But suddenly much of Indian internet sensation Dhinchak Pooja's considerable body of work has been wiped off her channel, prompting celebration.
Her YouTube page only displays one of her videos, and among those missing is her hit Selfie Maine Leli Aaj (I have taken a selfie today) which had 20 million views.
There is no clarity over what happened.
Clicking on the video links on her Facebook page takes you to a message that says the video is no longer available.
Some Indian media reports say that the reason appears to be a copyright claim by someone named Kathappa Singh, which is again causing laughter because of the similarity to a character in an Indian blockbuster movie.
Others say it is because the Delhi police were investigating her latest video Dilon ka Shooter (Shooter of hearts) because it featured her riding on a bike without a helmet.
However, the fact that this is the only video, external still up on her channel seems to throw cold water over that theory.
Other social media users are wondering if the entire thing is a publicity stunt.
But the incident is one of the hottest topics on Indian social media. Most people have posted sarcastic tweets, and praise for Kathappa Singh is not in short supply.
Is Dhinchak Pooja a singer?
Critics say she made no attempt to sing in tune, or even stick to tempo.
But that is precisely what made Dhinchak Pooja so famous.
Many in India compared her to US YouTube sensation Rebecca Black, whose heavily autotuned number Friday became a major internet hit in 2011.
Dhinchak Pooja has also been compared to Pakistani internet hit-maker Taher Shah.
Her songs and videos have also been "covered" by famous Indian singers like Sonu Nigam.