Filmmakers have found their latest muse, and it’s the influencers
Social media influencers are driving dinner table conversations now; becoming pop culture references and taking over the reins of Bollywood with aplomb. Initially, it was models like John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Aishwaria Rai and Sushmita Sen, who were envied for snatching up the actors’ roles. And now, we have influencers like Kusha Kapila, Prajakta Koli, and Sumukhi Suresh grabbing a fair share of their Bollywood as well as OTT pies. One of the key benefits of casting influencers in movies is that they have millions of active fans. So, when they promote their movies on their platforms, filmmakers get to reach vast audiences. We talk to some of these feisty content creators.
Billi Mausi chali Bollywood
After acing the influencer game (with her satirical portrayal of a quintessential Punjabi aunty, Billi Mausi), 34-year-old social media star Kusha Kapila has her calendar choc-a-bloc with acting assignments. After an interesting cameo in hit Netflix series Masaba Masaba, and movies like Thank You for Coming, Sukhee and Plan A Plan B, the digital creator (with 3.7 million followers on Instagram) is seen playing lead in Disney+Hostar’s refreshing series Life Hill Gayi. “Shortform digital content is good, but it will be great to be in films or series which are remembered for long,” she says.
In sane space
RJ-turned-comedy influencer Prajakta Koli melted everyone’s heart with her performances as Dimple in Netflix romcom Mismatched. More acting gigs followed, including Neeyat and family entertainer Jugjugg Jeeyo, where she was nominated for the Filmfare (Best Female Debut) award.
The 31-year-old digital sensation behind her immensely popular channel Mostly Sane (with seven million plus followers) looks towards her viewers for direction. “The comment section on my channel is where I look for direction. My viewers are brutally honest and their feedback has always been my guiding light, whether it’s acting or content creation,” says the dusky beauty, who believes that the authenticity influencers bring to the screen is unmatched. Or Mismatched, do we say?
Blossoming with Pushpavalli
Coming from a traditional South Indian family, her decision to pursue comedy was a leap into the unknown. However, stand-up-comedian, influencer and unapologetic showrunner Sumukhi Suresh kept on making people laugh, rising to fame with Behti Naak, a YouTube series created by her. She also acted in the mockumentary web series Better Life Foundation by Naveen Richard. Eventually, she created and starred in the acclaimed Amazon Prime Video show Pushpavalli, season one and two.
Sumukhi has created and acted in shows across OTT platforms, namely Beauty and the Feast for Hotstar, Banake Dikha for Zomato and Lust Stories for Netflix. She has starred in Kannada feature film Humble Politician Nograj and turned producer with Notary, a short film that’s doing the rounds at festivals. And now, Sumukhi is all set to star in Netflix’s new romcom series The Royals, starring Ishaan Khattar, Bhumi Pednekar and Zeenat Aman, among others. “The year 2024 for me started with acting in this beautiful show with the juiciest ensemble ever. It has been the most unexpected gift I have received,” beams Suresh, adding, “Unlike actors who play scripted roles, influencers are known for their genuine, unfiltered personas. They bring relatability and vulnerability to the screen beautifully.”
Shining bright with Chamkeela
Starting as a child actor in theatre, Sahiba Bali navigated her way through various fields — from cricket broadcasting, content creation and marketing to acting. Born to a Punjabi Hindu mom and a Kashmiri Sikh dad, this lovely young lady is a content creator, with a passion for travelling, food and wellness. Known for projects Bard of Blood (2019), Tanaav (2022) and Laila Majnu (2018), Sahiba was recently seen in Imtiaz Ali’s critically acclaimed Chamkeela. “Influencers get eyeballs, but eventually they only deliver hits if they are good in the craft of acting. Mumbai is a fascinating illusion where dreamers get lost and achievers make it big,” says the actress, emphasising the value of hard work and discipline over social media popularity.
Winging it with Ankush
Today, he is India’s number one beauty content creator in the men’s category. From having his own YouTube show, Wing It with Ankush, to walking the Cannes Red Carpet in 2024, Ankush Bahuguna has finally got the success he deserved.
With a plethora of skills under his belt (quite like his name suggests), Bahuguna made and starred in his own short film titled Almost, which was received well. “I was featured in a short film Badboli Bhavna and am now confident to embrace my Bollywood dreams,” shares the effervescent Delhi boy, who has shifted base to Mumbai and is busy auditioning for meaty roles to make it big in Bollywood. “Acting was always Plan A and I’m finally at a place in life where I can give this dream my all. Along the way, I also realised how grateful I am to the audience I’ve built, and I’d never let that go.”
