Sahiba Bali says she finds making reels for strangers 'transactional', only makes content she believes in

Actor and social media influencer Sahiba Bali talks about her need to distance her private life from Instagram and the public gaze.

Actor Sahiba Bali has juggled her on-screen performances with her work as a content creator, gaining fame in both arenas. Over the last few years, she has been noticed for her work in films and shows, including Amar Singh Chamkila, Tanaav, and Laila Majnu, and she has also amassed more followers on Instagram. But she says despite being an 'influencer', she wants to keep her private life away from the spotlight.

Sahiba Bali is known for her work in titles like Tanaav, Amar Singh Chamkila, and Laila Majnu

Sahiba's non-social media life

Speaking to HT, Sahiba says, "It's good to have certain boundaries, I suppose. It gives a break to your non-social media life as well." She explains that, at times, she has to turn off being an influencer. Recalling a recent incident, Sahiba says, "I recently got a car, and the car dealership knew of me. They were really excited that I purchased the car from them. They said, 'Please make a Reel and put it up'. I said no. They said, 'All influencers and actors do that'. But I didn't want to."

Sahiba says the reason for keeping her personal life away from social media despite having the 'influencer' tag is about being genuine. "I would shoot something or put any content if it's what I want personally, or if it's work-related and very important. Otherwise, I will never do anything somebody is telling me to do. A lot of times, if I get invited to events, and they say you can come to this event if you post a reel for us. I don't feel that's fair. If you're inviting me, invite me for who I am and because we can work together in the future."

When Sahiba skipped the wedding of the century

She recalls an incident where she skipped the 'biggest wedding of the century' recently. While she does not take names, the way she describes the wedding leaves no room for confusion. Sahiba says, "I was invited to the biggest wedding in the world, or of the century, recently. I decided not to go because I felt that it was very transactional. They didn't know me at all, and I was supposed just to go there to do PR of a family that I did not know."

Sahiba explains that she did not have anything against the hosts. "It's not on them," she says, adding, "It was because of, maybe, an agency they had hired. And a lot of influences went, a lot of actors went, some who personally knew the family, some who didn't. And I refused to go, even though everyone advised me I should. It's a great platform to network. I felt, 'no, that's a personal matter, and they don't know of me at all'. In that intimate, personal function for me to go just to make a Reel felt wrong."

Sahiba says she felt validated in her decision when her friends backed her. "I remember I called my friends and said, I don't feel like it. I feel like I'm being fake. I'm not being myself here. And they supported it."

Sahiba was last seen in the second season of Sudhir Mishra's Tanaav. She is also a presenter on Shark Tank India's new season and presented boundary-side segments in the Indian Premier League.