Manu Rishi: Instant fame on social media can’t be a gateway to an acting career

Mumbai, Dec 28 Actor-writer Manu Rishi Chadha who has appeared in a short film titled ‘Aapke aa Jaane Se’ shares his experience on why becoming a social media star through dance and comedy videos cannot be a gateway to an acting career.

The story of the film ‘Aapke Aa Jaane Se’ revolves around a middle-aged middle-class man who works as a shopkeeper becomes an overnight sensation after he posts a dance video and gets millions of views on social media.

Asked about his opinion on the new trend where many social media influencers are bagging big-ticket projects based on their popularity, Manu shared his view in conversation with IANS.

Manu told IANS: “There are two ways to look at the whole situation. If you have not learned the craft of acting or any performing art you need to learn it because having a desire to become an actor and knowing how to act and perform to become a professional actor are two different things.

“We can become popular on social media by making Reels videos, Tiktok videos etc. But when such popularity comes instantly and you do not know a specific reason behind the popularity, it goes away overnight also. So based on a few such instantly popular videos, if someone decides to become an actor, I do not think it is a wise decision.”

Citing one such real-life experiences, Manu also shared, ” Without taking any name, recently I came across one such youngster. He is a popular face on Instagram for his reels and short videos. Even I liked him for such funny videos. He was cast for a project based on his social media followers. When on the set we started working, I just realised he does not have the element to perform in front of multiple cameras.

“The nuances of expression, body language or narrating a fictional character that he is not in real life! You see, all these are the job of an actor and there comes the craft. So, unless you are an actor who knows the craft of acting, only based on social media popularity, you cannot have a sustainable career in acting.”

The film ‘Aapke Aa Jaane Se’ is directed by Shiladitya Bora and it released on the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large short films platform and its official YouTube channel.