Patralekhaa: There is a dearth of new faces in our industry
Actor Patralekhaa supports calls for new faces in Hindi cinema, citing a shortage of auditions and the focus on social media followers over acting skills
In recent times, many Hindi filmmakers have come out and said that the Hindi film industry is in dire need of new faces. Actor Patralekhaa, who also turned producer this year, agrees with this sentiment. “I feel that new people are not getting that many chances. I know a couple of young people who are trying to make it but there aren’t many auditions happening,” she says.
The actor, who was recently seen in Phule, also points out one of the biggest hurdles for newcomers. “People are casting basis the number of followers one has on Instagram, which I feel is a tricky situation. I am an actor, not a content creator. So, I don’t know how to play this Instagram game. I feel for these young people who are constantly at it as it’s directly influencing an audition that they get or the part they are gunning for,” she says.
Seeing the situation from a producer’s perspective as well now, Patralekhaa shares, “When we sit for casting and we are wanting new people, there is a dearth of them. It is a thing we need to figure out and right now, we need a crop of young, upcoming faces. India is such a vast country and I know there are many talent bubbling out there, but we are unable to reach them.”
Comparing this phase to the time when she started out in the industry, the actor recalls, “It was easier for us for sure, because we were not walking in with an Instagram profile. We were our own product and were not trying to create a perception. It takes a lot to create a perception which I never understood, but that’s apparently how it is today. When I was walking into auditions earlier, it was just who I was and if I could do that scene, nothing else mattered. Today, things are sadly different.”
