TV personality, Archana Puran Singh, and comedian, Kiku Sharda are renowned for their work on The Great Indian Kapil Show. The two, known for their candid nature, recently discussed the growing trend of casting influencers as actors merely because of their social media following. Well, it appears that both Archana and Kiku are not on board with this idea yet.
From Prajakta Koli to Bhuvan Bam, several social media influencers with massive followings have been featured in OTT series and movies. However, while some grace the screen with talent, others are retained for nothing more than their popularity on Instagram. Speaking about the emerging trend, Archana and Kiku vehemently criticised the practice and said that millions of followers did not always guarantee an equal number of viewers.
In conversation with News18 Showsha, Archana shared her personal experience with one popular influencer. While she respectfully didn’t name the social media star, she also didn’t mince her words regarding her acting skills, calling her “terrible”. She recounted the incident and said:
“I have seen a casting where I asked who was playing a certain character, and I was given their background. When I asked, ‘Has she done films?’ I was told, ‘No, no, no, she’s a big star on Instagram.’ I asked, ‘But has she worked (in films/series)?’ They said, ‘No, but she has got so many million followers.’ I watched her film, and she was terrible in it.”
Archana further mentioned that she had noticed a similar practice in casting for established roles as well. According to her, there now seems to be a bias towards candidated with bigger social media followings during auditions. She said:
“Casting mein bhi ho raha hai ke jiske followers zyada hai, uske already established popularity hai, audience. But mujhe lagta hai wo necessarily translate nahi hoti hai.”
Kiku voiced his agreement for Archana’s views while also raising a valid concern. He revealed that he is worried for budding actors that don’t actively use social media. He said:
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“What is sad is that if you are a talented actor, that’s about it. Now if the person doesn’t want to be on social media, doesn’t like to be on social media, toh wo banda kya kare fir? Aap usko iss kaaran se toh ye nahi keh sakte fir aap ye project nahi karenge kyunke aap apni following apne saath nahi laa rahe hai project mein.”
Despite Archana and Kiku’s disapproval of casting influencers who can’t act, the latter did acknowledge the power of Instagram. He said that if used right, the tool could be a huge platform for aspiring actors to showcase their skills. He told News18 Showsha:
“For a few people, who are starting their careers, using social media as a place to audition is beneficial. Instead of going somewhere and auditioning in front of a camera, you can show your work and variety via Instagram. For beginners, it is great, but beyond a point, ye hota jaa raha hai ke following nahi hai toh jiska hai (major following), unko cast kar lete hai, wo galat hai.”
What do you think about these industry revelations by Archana Puran Singh and Kiku Sharda? Let us know.
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