Social Media Influences Casting? Adarsh Gourav and Shanaya Kapoor ‘Agree to Disagree’ (EXCLUSIVE)

In an era when social media influence and followers are treated as powerful currency, the debate over whether that is privileged over talent and skills is a question that continues to divide opinion.

In an exclusive tête-à-tête with Variety India, actors Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gourav offer candid and contrasting takes. “I disagree,” Shanaya says firmly when asked whether social media popularity influences casting more than auditions do. However, her co-star from the film “Tu Yaa Main," Adarsh, has a more conflicted perspective. “I agree,” he admits. The actor states, “I've had lots of friends who've been in this situation, who've spoken to me about it. I was very lucky that my film “The White Tiger” came out in the middle of the pandemic, when people were still not making this direct association and connection with casting and the following that an individual has. So, I lucked out! But I have a lot of friends who tell me that they sometimes lose out on parts simply because they don't have enough following as somebody else who they're competing with for that role. And initially, I used to be confused about how to feel about that because I was, like, maybe because commerce does dictate a lot of decisions when it comes to filmmaking, it's not necessarily just the art of it. So, I was, like, maybe because if you have followers, it means that people, at least those followers, it's guaranteed that they will watch the film. But that's not true.”

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He further emphasizes the fact that digital engagement doesn’t automatically translate to box-office success. “In the last few years, we've seen this happening; there have been multiple instances of popular faces who have a lot of followers on Instagram getting cast in films or shows and that doesn't necessarily mean that the film will open big or have, like, those many people who follow you on Instagram will come to watch you in the theater. So, I feel like that shouldn't happen, and the playground needs to be equal. I feel, like, as filmmakers you need to recognize the importance of the craft and the quality much more than social media numbers because it doesn’t make a difference,” quotes Adarsh.

In Shanaya’s experience, casting directors continue to focus on suitability and performance. She states, “I’ve not heard those kinds of stories from anyone where they've not been selected for a certain part because they didn't have the social media numbers. I've actually heard the opposite and seen people get those opportunities regardless of their social media following, so I guess it's agree to disagree! But, yes, I do agree with Adarsh that it doesn't matter how many people follow you on social media and that doesn't mean if you have, like, five million followers or three million followers that there is any guarantee that those many people will go and watch your film.”

Interestingly, where both actors find common ground is in the brand world, because in that space, they believe numbers are currency. “It may help with your brands and maybe promote your film and put your film out ther,e but I feel at the end, that's just about it,” points out Shanaya, adding, “The casting directors, whoever I've met, always look at the work and I've not had that experience where they're looking at your following. I've not heard it from anyone who I know.”

Adarsh notes the difference between brands and films. “In brands, it matters so much because it also dictates how much you get paid. For brands, the following that you have — For example, an actor like me or any of my contemporaries who have more followers than me can end up charging more money than me because they have more followers. And that makes complete sense because that brand is directly piggybacking on that aspect of your life. But when it comes to films, I don't think that should happen,” concludes the actor.