New Delhi, May 22 -- A few hours after Asha Bhosle's death last month, actor Sachin Pilgaonkar posted an Instagram tribute: a photograph of a smiling Bhosle surrounded by Pilgaonkar's family, a heartwarming caption recalling how his mother once shared recording spaces with her, and on further swipe, a grainy picture of the two artists singing a duet. But look closer, and the post doesn't just mourn the legendary singer; it also establishes proximity to her."It was almost on an impulse that I shared these pictures," he says. "I wanted people to know what she meant to me. Instagram seemed like the perfect platform to engage with a larger audience, and participate in this kind of public mourning."

Though the post is rooted in emotion, it is...