Shweta Basu Prasad has always chosen to distance herself from the competitive race that dominates the entertainment industry.Consequently, she remains unaffected by the current trend of casting actors based on their number of Instagram followers.
She believes that this trend glorifies mediocrity to an alarming extent.
According to Shweta, she understands the rationale behind people visiting an actor’s Instagram profile to assess their current appearance.
In the past, aspiring actors used to go door to door with their portfolios, but now it has shifted to the digital realm, where people visit your profile to see how you look.However, she is skeptical about engaging in activities she doesn’t believe in, solely for the sake of increasing her follower count.
Shweta recently showcased her directorial debut, a short film called “Retake,” at the New York Indian Film Festival.The film stars Anupam Kher and Zarina Wahab, and she also wrote the script.
Expressing her opinion on the obsession with follower numbers, the 32-year-old actress states that this culture is unhealthy.She finds it bizarre that casting decisions are being influenced by an individual’s follower count rather than their talent.
Shweta questions how she should react to this scenario, likening it to the ongoing nepotism debate, where individuals are favored based on numbers rather than their abilities.
Shweta reveals that a PR agency recently approached her and criticized her low-key Instagram profile.
The agency representative suggested that she should post more reels featuring popular songs and share more Insta stories.They implied that her profile, which mainly revolves around books, films she likes, favorite actors, and discussions about cinema, does not match the image of an actor.
Shweta finds it amusing that classical music, an interest of hers, is not deemed suitable for an actor’s profile, while creating reels is.
In Shweta’s view, this trend is deceptive.She believes that agencies approach new actors, advising them on what to do and what not to do, leading these aspiring individuals to believe that following such strategies will secure them a larger following and more work.She sees it as a big hoax, questioning the potential consequences if Instagram were to vanish one day.
