Are follower counts deciding film careers now?

Actor Shiva Shah Ra’s recent remarks about Instagram followers influencing casting have intensified an ongoing industry debate about how Instagram has become a parallel audition room.

“People talk about salary after asking the number of followers on Instagram. I don’t know how to grow followers. I don’t even like making reels,” Shah Ra had shared in an Instagram video. Though the actor later clarified that he was speaking about the general climate and not his own case, his frustration struck a chord.To decode how much digital presence really matters today, Chennai Times spoke to producers, casting directors and actors and their responses varied from lost opportunities, being forced to become content creators, to the narrowing the future for trained performers.From the viewpoint of a producer...Producer G Dhananjayen says that Instagram helps filmmakers assess an actor beyond auditions. “Producers do look for Instagram followers, but it’s only to get a sense of actors’ looks, acting performances and the audience’s response towards them. Even if the followers are fewer, but their engagement with the audience and content are good, we do consider them. Today, Instagram plays a significant role in deciding the casting.

It’s enabling us to know someone’s creative talent. It’s used as a filtering mechanism to know which talent we should travel with.”Actors sound off on follower-based casting

Omara Shetty, known for her leading role in The Shameless , which won acclaim at Cannes, says that even a major breakthrough has not freed her from questions about follower count. “I still get asked about my follower count. That sort of becomes irritating. Casting an actor purely based on follower count will help give projects that initial visibility.

But if we reduce casting to metrics alone, we are risking narrowing the future of Indian cinema.

Whenever we prioritise numbers over merit and craft, we may unintentionally overlook performers.”Actress Deviyani Sharma says the industry’s growing fixation on social media numbers is sidelining trained performers. “Nowadays, some casting directors are keen on knowing the number of followers you have. They don’t care whether you know how to act or not.

This is killing chances of actors with talent. When I get a casting call, I get asked if I have at least two lakh followers,” she states.BRAND VALUE TRUMPS TALENT

Actor Deepak Paramesh feels actors are left with no choice but to get into the content creation space. “I’m not a content creator; I’d rather focus on my acting skills instead. But sometimes, I’m forced to create content. I think brand value precedes talent these days. So, we have to adapt.

Even if you take the recent season of Bigg Boss Tamil , most of the contenders were social media influencers,” he states.

Talking about the pressure to constantly be seen on social media, Deviyani shares, “If we don’t post every day, we’re left behind. Brands think that if someone has more followers, they have more reach. But that’s not the case because follower count can be faked. Our industry should run on merit, not on something superficial.”Do followers matter? Casting directors weigh inCasting director Sharanya Subramaniam stresses that she doesn’t look at follower count while casting. “I focus on the work an actor has done and the material they present. The traditional method of meeting teams in person and auditioning still works. Social media is one route, and it has the advantage of reaching many people instantly. When someone brings both craft and digital presence, it becomes an added advantage.

But craft remains the foundation,” she says.Casting director Rakenth Pai opines that the demand for influencers is largely limited to select advertisement campaigns and not cinema. “It’s a rare phenomenon when an agency is specific that they want influencers. Even then, we always look for actors first. As casting directors, we don’t maintain a database of influencers; we only have for actors. I’ve been casting for eight years and I’ve never come across a film production saying, ‘We went for this actor because he had more followers.

’ Instagram links are requested from actors because that is where production can see what work they have done. Even if we select an influencer, if they can’t act, then there is no point.”Sharanya acknowledges that certain projects sometimes factor in digital reach. “There have been projects, especially advertisements, where digital reach is part of the requirement. In those cases, follower count, visibility, and audience alignment do come into play. Even then, we make sure the person is capable of handling the role. Follower count alone is never enough,” she states.