Why is Tom Cruise hanging out with Indian influencers Avneet Kaur, Jannat Zubair and others? Internet has theories

Tom Cruise is doing what no Ethan Hunt has done before, partnering with influencers. And not just any influencers, but Indian Instagram stars like Avneet Kaur, Jannat Zubair, and Niharika NM. The internet is confused, amused, and borderline scandalised.

In his most high-octane promotional tour yet, Cruise has been flying (literally) across continents to hype Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. While we expected red carpets, stunts, and a few well-timed laughs, what no one saw coming was the unexpected collab of the year: Tom Cruise x Desi Influencers.

Tom Cruise spotted with Indian influencers

At the London premiere, fans spotted Cruise chatting with Niharika NM near a red prop plane. She posted a video on Instagram, gushing about the moment and calling it a dream she never dared to dream. Meanwhile, Avneet Kaur shared pictures of herself posing with Cruise for the second time, and even threw in a “Namaste from me and Mr Cruise” for good measure. Not to be outdone, Jannat Zubair dropped a selfie and declared: “One selfie with Tom Cruise = Lifetime bragging rights.”

And just like that, the internet collectively lost its mind

While fans flooded the comment sections with “You lucky girl” and “Is this even real?”, a few users had questions. Theories started flying faster than Tom in a fighter jet. Some speculated Avneet might have a cameo in the movie. Others believe this is simply the evolution of film marketing, why pay a Bollywood A-lister when you can reach millions through creators with loyal followings?

And reach, they do. Jannat Zubair has 49 million followers. Avneet has 31 million. Niharika NM has 3 million. Their engagement is off the charts, and way more cost-effective than traditional film marketing.

Tom Cruise trolled

Still, not everyone is buying it. Trolls came in hard with comments like, “Tom Cruise ke itne bure din aa gaye?” and “What timeline are we even living in?” But one Reddit user summed it up best: “Looks like it worked. We are talking about it right now.”

The results are already showing. The Final Reckoning is smashing pre-sale records in India. Over 60,000 tickets sold, with the Hindi version outperforming mid-budget Bollywood films. Experts say the film is tracking ahead of every 2024 Indian release not titled Chhaava or L2: Empuraan.

So, maybe this influencer thing is not such a crazy mission after all?

Tom Cruise might be 62, but clearly, he understands the assignment, adapt, or self-destruct. Mission accomplished? The Indian internet seems to think so.