Shakti Arora: Actors are now surviving through social media, not their acting projects

The actor reveals that he has been self-shooting his audition videos amid this lockdown.

Photography has become a new passion for actor Shakti Arora, who is taking lessons online, while also putting his new found knowledge to good use with his new camera. The actor reveals that he has been self-shooting his audition videos amid this lockdown.

Actor Shakti Arora says shooting from home is going to be the new work format for actors especially those who are in different cities

“I’ve recently shot a music video Ek Umeed which is a tribute to people working on the front line and I’m getting a lot of calls for ad films and new shows as well to audition for,” Arora says.

From handling the camera, setting the background and lighting to acting, he reveals how it has become a one-man job. “The makers ask us to not only send them our self-test video but also the pictures of our house. They tell us the location for the shoot and direct us on the phone” the 33-year-old adds.

This, he says, is going to be the new work format for actors especially those who are in different cities. “I don’t think shooting on the sets is going to start in full swing till September- October. On set, there is a minimum requirement of around 50 -70 people and in the current social distancing scenario, that is not possible at all. And many aspiring actors, who I know, have gone back to their native cities as rent in Mumbai was getting expensive. For them as well, this is the best,” he says.

While many celebrities have taken to social media to post about their life in quarantine, Arora has made a conscious decision to not follow suit. “I don’t like the concept of going live and constantly being on social media. Instead, I will go on YouTube and self-study about a new skill. Some people have become a little crazy in this lockdown posting pictures and videos of their household chores, workout, grooming and cooking. While some are doing it for time pass, many people are earning through all this.”

The actor points out, “Actors are surviving through social media more, not their acting projects. You do one post and your expense for a month is are taken care of. Their fans also encourage celebrities to post more in order to engage with them. So it’s a win-win situation. But I don’t think over-exposing yourself on social media is a good thing to do,” Arora shares.