Talent is permanent, social media following is temporary: Mukesh Chhabra on influencers turning actors

New Delhi: Casting director Mukesh Chhabra says creating content on social media and acting are two different fields and should not be confused with each other.

Commenting on the trend of influencers being cast in shows and films, Chhabra said social media following is inconsequential and what matters the most in the industry is a person's talent and craft.

"Influencers, content creators, and acting -- these are three different professions, but people have started mixing them up. I don't think filmmakers like Raju Hirani, Vishal Bhardwaj or Imtiaz Ali select actors based on their Instagram presence and assume they can act.

"I always tell people that Instagram and social media pages are temporary; they can be deleted anytime. But talent is permanent," the casting director said.

He was speaking at a session during National School of Drama's annual theatre festival Bharat Rang Mahotsav here on Wednesday evening.

Chhabra said people may not recognise those who are famous on Instagram but "real actors are known" everywhere.

"If you look at the followers of actors like Pankaj Tripathi and Manoj Bajpayee, they are nowhere near influencers, yet they are highly respected actors. A talent like Piyush Mishra and others may not have millions of followers, but there is a vast difference between their craft and social media fame," he added.

As far as his experience is concerned, Chhabra said no filmmaker has ever asked him to cast someone "just because they are famous on social media".

"I have said this in every podcast and interview: Don’t be confused. Real directors and genuine filmmakers do not think about these things. Craft is everything, nothing else matters.

"Whenever someone tells me about an actor’s follower count, I dismiss it. I focus on talent, not numbers. This obsession with followers is like a disease, a virus," Chhabra said.