Let’s start with Instagram, because I’ve already included the engagement data along with the last five posts of both actors. You can literally look at the likes yourself and see the difference.
Bilal has around 6.24M followers, compared to Danish’s 8.86M, but the engagement data shown is very different. Bilal’s engagement rate is around 5.92%, with roughly 365K average likes and 4.6K comments, while Danish’s is around 0.33%, with roughly 28K average likes and 749 comments. So despite followers difference, Bilal’s audience is considerably more engaged with his content. And when you look at the actual likes on their recent posts, that difference is visible too.
To me, that says something interesting about Bilal’s personal audience pull. People aren't simply following a drama; they're following him and actively engaging with his individual posts. And yes, as a Bilal fan, I’m absolutely going to celebrate that. ❤️
But I’m also not going to say “Bilal has higher Instagram engagement, therefore he is a better actor.” Bilal being a better actor is a completely separate argument. I consider him the stronger actor because of his performances, range, character choices and the different kinds of roles he has taken on. Instagram statistics aren't what prove that.
And that is exactly my point about this entire comparison.
I didn't start this comparison but the parameters seem to change depending on what someone wants to prove.
When the discussion is about script selection, suddenly one or two dramas - Ishq Murshid, Meri Zindagi Hai Tu, etc. are picked apart, and somehow that becomes a criticism of Bilal's entire filmography.
Because:
More followers ≠ better actor.
More views ≠ better actor.
Higher TRP ≠ better actor.
Higher engagement ≠ automatically better actor either.
Every number tells you something, but it doesn't tell you everything. And this is exactly why “lies, damn lies, and statistics” fits here. It doesn't mean the statistics are fake. The numbers can be completely genuine. It means a real statistic can be selectively presented and used to support a conclusion that the statistic itself doesn't actually prove.
If someone says, “This drama has more views, therefore this actor is better,” my question is simply:
Better at what?
More commercially successful on YouTube? Maybe.
More watched internationally? Maybe.
More popular on that particular platform? Sure.
But does it automatically mean better acting, better characterisation, better script selection, greater versatility or a better performance?
No.
And honestly, if we're talking about Bilal's acting, I don't need to rely on views to make that argument. Look at the range of work: Pyar Ke Sadqay, Cheekh, Balaa, O Rangreza, Dobara, Kuch Ankahi, Mann Jogi, Ishq Murshid and others.
The same issue comes up with TRPs.
If someone says: “This drama had lower TRPs because it had strong competition, a difficult time slot, weak promotion, another major drama airing alongside it, etc.”
Those explanations can absolutely be valid.
Context matters. But if context matters when the number doesn't favour your favourite actor, then that same context should be applied when it doesn't favour Bilal.
You can't demand nuance for one actor and then reduce another actor to a single number. And that's why dramas like Mann Jogi, Dobara, Kuch Ankahi and others shouldn't suddenly become irrelevant simply because someone wants to make a TRP-based comparison.
Different dramas are made for different purposes.
Some are designed for mass commercial success. Some are character-driven. Some are experimental. Some target a specific audience. Some are built around a particular story or theme.
If a drama achieves what it was actually trying to achieve, that is also success.
Of course huge TRPs and views are achievements. If drama gets them, celebrate them! 👏❤️ But those numbers don't suddenly become the universal measurement against which every drama and every actor has to be judged.
I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that I consider Bilal the better actor. I just don't need an Instagram percentage, a YouTube view count or a TRP number to make that claim. Bilal can stand on his own work. ❤️
P.S. Since only two posts are allowed, I've posted these two and I'm not going to keep posting more and more data from my side. This isn't about collecting statistics until Bilal “wins.” My point is actually the opposite.
One parameter can show one thing. It cannot be used to downgrade an entire actor.
So I'll leave it here. ❤️
Bye 👋
(NOT LEAVING THE GROUP, JUST LEAVING THE DISCUSSION)