Actors face new challenges as decisions tailored on social media now

New actors, especially those without family connections or ancestry, may become increasingly challenging during the casting process, as these decisions have begun to consider the influence and attention of social media. Experts in the media and entertainment industry say smaller and regional OTT platforms and independent films often like to be known on social media, compared to those with less business scope to promote marketing and engagement. But many producers are also postponing to ensure talent and crafts take precedence over social media influence, saying larger platforms and studios don’t have to take these things into account.

Rajni Daswani, director of digital marketing at digital institutions, said social engagement has become an important aspect of marketing any new show or movie, so producers and studios will definitely focus on the online presence of actors, especially on new faces. “It’s not the only parameter, it’s an important parameter. When it comes to a crowded market, the built-in audience is very valuable. If you have an actor who already has a million followers involved in their content, it’s a ready-made marketing channel,” she said.

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Daswani added that this phenomenon is more evident in some genres, with genres targeting romantic comedy, teen drama and even certain action movies. “It’s not just the original number. They are looking at audience demographics to see if followers are aligned with their target audience and if there is a clear pace of followers growing to ensure the authenticity of the individual,” Daswani said.

Producer and Director Hemal A. Thakkar said the phenomenon began a few years ago when the OTT platform surfaced. These have a marketing-oriented perspective and believe that followers can transform into audiences. “A platform with lower functionality can do this for easier visibility. It may not be suitable all the time. Just as actors bring certain opening day numbers in the theater, some people think social media traction can help the show. That is, the real game on streaming is the completion rate, and your next job depends on the overall success or failure of the show,” said filmmaker Siddharth P. Malhotra.

The existence of social media

Rohit Singh, deputy director of accounts at digital agency White Rivers Media, agrees that social media influence is now a meaningful factor in making decisions across entertainment, especially opportunities to impact emerging talent. Production companies are increasingly looking to bring on-screen presence and digital engagement actors to take advantage of their promotional value at their fingertips. This is especially true for streaming content and youth-oriented works, where audience connections through social platforms can improve initial viewership. Singh said several streaming platforms have pointed to strong audience responses and organic promotional benefits from casting positive outcomes from social media figures.

Especially in Bollywood today, social media is not just an influence, but a side job, which is the deputy director of Sonali Banerji-Creative, who is director of digital marketing agency BC Web Wise. Studios, brands and platforms all check numbers. Strong following means built-in buzz, cheaper promotions and higher brand value. Actors who can move needles online are a safer bet. Banerji said the brand asked it, and the streaming platform considered it, and producers liked free marketing. But talent is still driving life span – not many followers can fake it.

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Akshata Samant, director of creative development at Civic Studios, said the actor’s social media presence could be a valuable tool for audience engagement and promotion, and could translate into ratings. “But this only works when the actors have a compelling role – otherwise, it has the potential to be like a marketing gi head, rather than an organic casting option. The authenticity of storytelling and performance is still key,” she said.

To be sure, many may continue to believe that having a popular name with strong social media might be an additional advantage, but it is only part of a puzzle. Successful projects are a strong balance of storytelling, good filmmaking and relevant talent. Actor Dean Adityoa Suranna said the well-known face may have attracted initial attention, but the audience stayed with engaging performances and compelling narratives. Digital creators like Prajakta Koli (Mismatch, jug juggling jeeyo), Bhuvan Bam (Taaza Khabar) and Anubhav Singh Bassi (Tu Jhouthi Main Makkaar) has transitioned to performance and provided a strong performance. Their social media presence helps to attract popularity, but their acting skills set them apart.

“One person may be popular, but it may contribute well to storytelling. Social media is a slight benefit in recalling value and may help smaller independent films with limited budgets. But for large shows, actors are based on authenticity, although sometimes social media helps actor directors engage with these faces,” said Shruti Mahajan, director of actors.