Chennai, Oct. 7 -- Mumbai-resident Bhavani A., an entertainment industry executive and fan of Anirudh Ravichander, was overjoyed when the Tamil music director posted a Dubsmash-style Insta story this March, after a long gap. But what caught her, and other fans' attention, was a white and yellow tube in the foreground.

Internet sleuths identified it as direct-to-consumer, or D2C, startup Deconstruct Skincare's sunscreen, creating a social media buzz. The Bengaluru-based skincare brand brought Ravichander on as a brand partner soon after. By then, Bhavani and scores of other fans had already bought the sunscreen. "I use only moisturiser and sunscreen. So, when I saw Anirudh using Deconstruct's sunscreen, I immediately bought one online on ...