Aahana Kumra rues people getting hired for being Instagram influencers

Actor Aahana S Kumra criticizes the trend of hiring people in the entertainment industry based on their social media following instead of acting merit. She says the trend has left many actors confused about their future and has pushed her to become a writer.

Actor Aahana S Kumra is disturbed looking at the recent phenomenon where people are being hired in the entertainment industry because of their social media follower count instead of any merit as an actor. She says the trend has left many confused about the way ahead.

Aahana S Kumra is recently shooting in Dehradun for her next project

“I’m sorry to say, most of the shows that are coming on the very big streaming platform feature Instagram influencers. How many actors are really there acting on the platform? There are influencers who are influxing the acting space,” Kumra retorts, adding, “There are kids, who are doing theatre, who come to me to discuss this, and it is heartbreaking to listen to them say they are not being hired because they don’t have Instagram followers.”

The 37-year-old stresses that all that many filmmakers and casting directors care about is the number of followers a person has on social media.

“The whole space is becoming so noisy. In the West, you get hired for a talent, not because you are an Instagram influencer. It has become a constant conversation on every set today. It has left actors perplexed, who just don’t know what to do,” she adds.

But Kumra, who has made a place for herself with projects such as Inside Edge, It Happened In Hong Kong, Marzi, Betaal, Sandwiched Forever and Call My Agent, believes in taking matters in her own hands, and is turning a writer to churn out content she wants to associate with.

“That is what has pushed me to become a writer. I want to make my stuff. I am writing and I am so happy to do that. I hope I can make one film and one series. I hope I can continue writing stories, and make content. At the moment, what I am writing is still in the process, but it is turning into a good thing. I hope to talk about it soon,” she says.

When it comes to her acting projects, Kumra has decided to go with the flow and not rush into things. “Now, I want to venture into new spaces. Because it’s very easy to typecast actors. And it’s nice to be able to break out of that mould and find a new world. There are certain things in the pipeline, which I will share once they are formalised,” she ends.