Do Social Media Followers Influence Casting? Unpacking the Talent vs. Opportunity Debate in Cinema | Hindi Movie News

It is undeniable that an actor or actress must keep themselves relevant in public and that being in the spotlight is crucial for their widespread acceptance and popularity. Over the years, media presence has evolved significantly, particularly regarding a star’s social media appearance and activity. Amidst this shift, many celebrities have spoken about actors and social media influencers securing roles in the industry based on the number of followers they have.

In a recent interview, Jaaved Jaaferi addressed the evolving definition of stardom and how the number of social media followers does not necessarily translate into theatre ticket sales. “Urvashi Rautela has 70 million followers, but do her followers translate to a ticket-buying audience? Let’s take 10 million of her followers, which is one crore people. If those one crore people had bought a Rs 250 film ticket, the film would have made Rs 100 crore. It doesn’t work like that,” he told Humans of Bombay. He believes that even for Salman Khan or Rajinikanth, their movies gain a wide reach only if the trailer is compelling. He asserts that a film’s trailer is the biggest promotional strategy rather than the number of social media followers.
At the Berlin Film Festival, American actor Ethan Hawke also commented on filmmakers casting actors based on their social media following. He called the practice “crazy” and shared an experience where he was asked to cast individuals with 10 million followers, despite them having no acting experience. Shortly after, actor Vikrant Massey shared the news on his Instagram story, writing, “This is now a global epidemic.”
Earlier, actor-turned-casting-director Abhishek Banerjee addressed the issue in an interview with Sucharita Tyagi on her YouTube channel. He remarked that the issue is real and affects him both as an actor and a casting director. He shared an instance where a team had finalised three actors from an audition but ultimately chose the one with more social media followers. “A thumbnail bait might attract viewers to the first episode, but no one will invest nine hours into a web show solely because someone has followers. Many people have more followers than Shah Rukh Khan, but there isn’t a bigger star than him—so comparisons based on followers are rubbish,” he stated.
As the discussion continues, we have gathered insights from actresses, casting directors, and filmmakers.
‘For me, acting and social media presence are two different things’ – Aaliyah Qureishi
Actress Aaliyah Qureishi, known for her role in Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ and other films and series, reacted to the matter in an interview with ETimes.

When asked whether, as an aspiring actress, she had ever been advised to focus on building her social media presence to secure better roles, she stated, “Yes, I have. I personally don’t relate to it. I think it’s great if it works that way for someone else, but for me, acting and social media presence are two different things.” She further elaborated on her perspective: “I think if you like my acting (or music), then you could follow me and keep up with the art I’m creating and the behind-the-scenes of my projects. However, if you hire someone solely based on their following, then—unless they genuinely can act and have auditioned—you will get what you signed up for. The art you’re creating will reflect that, for better or for worse,” she told ETimes.
The actress also addressed whether she had ever experienced a situation where a lesser-trained influencer or celebrity was favoured over skilled actors for a role. “Yes, I have. I don’t dwell on it too much because it is what it is,” she revealed. The ‘Jawan’ actress also spoke about how this trend affects aspiring newcomers: “I’ve been in situations where casting directors really liked my audition, but when I followed up a few months later, they said, unfortunately, the makers were ‘looking for someone with more of a following.’ I think of it as their loss. I know what I bring to the table, and if they’re looking for an influencer rather than an actor, then do I really even want to be part of that project?” she added.
When asked whether social media creates unrealistic competition for young actors trying to break into the industry based purely on talent, she said, “In some cases, for people doing skits or creating funny content on social media, it can actually serve as a showcase and launchpad into an industry where they would otherwise be outsiders. In that sense, it’s a great tool for those who are extroverted and have that kind of personality.”
She concluded, “But I also know many actors who are not social media savvy yet are brilliantly talented. If a project hires a celebrity over them, then it’s really the project’s loss. If you don’t hire an actor, you’re not going to get an actor, and that’s a risk for your own project’s quality and success.”
Most influencers can’t act, and acting is much more than just a social media presence – Mukesh Chhabra
Casting director Mukesh Chhabra also joined the discussion about actors being cast based on their social media following. He was asked how much weight an artist’s social media presence holds when compared to their audition performance and experience. “Zero. I work on films and big shows, and we don’t care about social media. The only thing that matters is the right casting,” he told ETimes.
He also dismissed the notion that social media reach translates into box-office success. “Haha, not at all! They’re overspending on social media, and it doesn’t even contribute 2% to actual box-office success.”
Discussing how to balance the commercial aspect of casting while ensuring strong performances on screen, he stated, “As I said, we don’t care about social media or influencers. Do you think all the big filmmakers base their casting decisions on follower count? Haha, not at all! Some small music video teams cast influencers to help promote their songs—that’s it. Most influencers can’t act, and acting is much more than just a social media presence,” he emphasised.
‘This has been happening for years and will continue to happen’ – Manish Gupta

Indian filmmaker Manish Gupta also shared his insights on the matter in a conversation with ETimes. According to him, prioritising popularity over talent has existed in the industry for many years. “The industry has always prioritised popularity over talent. This has always been the case. Earlier, there were stars who were popular despite being bad actors. Because they were known in the press and media, they were getting roles. Now, it’s the same thing—just that social media has replaced traditional media. This has been happening for years and will continue to happen. Bollywood will never improve,” he remarked while addressing the reach-versus-talent debate.

Manish also revealed his experience dealing with situations where producers or financiers preferred social media-famous actors over talented performers. “I refused it. I am not someone who can be pressured by any financier, producer, or actor. I have outrightly rejected such proposals,” he stated.
He firmly believes that casting decisions should be based on pure talent rather than social media reach. “Not at all. It has no relation to casting. It’s complete nonsense. It should not be considered at all,” he added.

When asked whether a large number of social media followers convert into box-office numbers and theatre ticket sales, he responded, “No, they don’t. Many of those followers are fake. These influencers buy followers. They pay agencies to inflate their follower count. If they claim to have 20 lakh followers, 80 lakh of them could be fake. That’s why it doesn’t translate into box-office success. You may have any number of followers, but that doesn’t mean people will come to see your movie.”