Fashion, Rustom and Kabir Singh actor Arjan Bajwa, who has also been a part of web series like Bestsellers on Amazon and State of Siege: 26/11 on Zee5, feels that social media popularity has taken over talent in the entertainment industry. Though he feels that everyone is aware of it, he mentioned that no one is doing anything about it.
He said, “It’s really sad that social media follower counts have become a basis or criterion for casting in films. That should not be the case. Casting should be based on talent and how well an actor fits the role, which has been the foundation of the film industry for decades. Social media is a tool for promotion not a bench mark for talent. You can do it to promote yourself, and there are no limits. But that doesn’t mean everything seen online translates well into a film story or format.”
“Sadly, those numbers are now often seen as a benchmark for popularity, which I believe is absolutely and completely strange. Most people agree with this, yet somehow, no one is doing anything about it,” he added.
But he is not someone who takes pressure from social media or makes reels to get validation. He said, “It’s a platform for promotion, which can be done in many different ways. Social media is a plus for promoting the content that you’ve made. But just making random reels for eyeballs and putting them on social media is not my cup of tea, and neither do I agree with it.
“If content is put on social media, if reels are there, they should inspiring and informative. But now, it has just become a norm to stay relevant, that’s all,” Arjan concluded.
