Influencers now savour reel life with lead roles
- While Kusha Kapila has appeared in Sukhee and Thank You for Coming, Bhuvan Bam has played the lead in a Disney+ Hotstar original
Social-media influencers and stand-up comics who used to make fleeting appearances in films and web shows have graduated to enacting lead and strong supporting roles as their youth connect, fan base and acting skills endear them to production houses.
While Kusha Kapila has appeared in Sukhee and Thank You for Coming, Bhuvan Bam has played the lead in a Disney+ Hotstar original. Anubhav Singh Bassi was seen in a key role in the comedy-drama Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar earlier this year. Also, Danish Sait, who played the lead in the Kannada comedy Humble Politician Nograj, will soon be seen in Mohanlal-starrer Malaikottai Vaaliban.
Industry experts point to the young fan base of these names and the fact that they’re likely to find appeal across formats, given their ease of expression. However, their earnings from these appearances are still much less than that of mainstream stars.
“Bollywood has always been a sort of melting pot that accepts and accommodates faces or ideas that are working. Social-media stars are the newest entities for business value to be seen in, since they come with a crazy fan following that often exceeds many mainstream film actors,” Devdatta Potnis, chief executive at Animeta, a tech creator company, said. The presence of these faces immediately helps the film target a certain section of the audience and widens the draw for its release, Potnis added.
Further, in many cases, their persona also helps them communicate bolder themes and taboo subjects to the audience. For example, Thank You for Coming is a sex comedy that releases this Friday and features Kapila, Dolly Singh and Shibani Bedi alongside Bhumi Pednekar.
According to Sushmita Sinha, associate director of key accounts at TheSmallBigIdea, a digital and social-media marketing agency, influencers tap into genre-specific audiences by crafting content that resonates with particular niches. “Their dedicated viewers share a passion for the same genres and demographics, forming a valuable alignment. This synergy enhances a movie’s promotional endeavours when creators are cast in relevant roles or collaborate on marketing campaigns,” Sinha pointed out.
Much like traditional movie stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, several influencers have managed to cultivate their own fan communities and clubs as well. Their impact was initially recognized by streaming video service providers in 2018, leading to influencer collaborations to promote shows and later leveraged by big movie production houses.
“They initially gained popularity on platforms like YouTube and then expanded their presence across various social-media platforms. The introduction of short-form videos further accelerated their growth. As their popularity grew, influencers began receiving bulk deals involving multiple deliverables, be it year-long brand partnerships or collaboration offers from production houses to create content and feature alongside established movie stars,” said Divyansh Gala, group head–outreach at digital agency SoCheers.
Transitioning to movies is a logical step, as established followings provide an initial fan base, and their content creation and acting skills aid in film promotions. “Throughout this journey, influencers continue to engage with their audience online, maintaining a balance between their online and movie personas, showcasing their adaptability,” said Karan Pherwani, vice president of influencer-marketing agency Chtrbox, pointing out that these names primarily bring on board a youthful and digitally connected audience, which is not only enthusiastic about supporting their favourite influencers’ movie ventures, but also extends the film’s reach over social media.
The trend is expected to grow with the advent of movies and shows on digital platforms and the massive adoption of streaming services that have taken place, especially during the pandemic, said Anurag Iyer, chief executive of Big Bang Social, a creator marketplace owned by talent management agency Collective Artists Network. “There is an even greater need to remain relevant to digital audiences now. And content creators are pulling them in across languages and demographics, and tier-two and tier-three towns,” Iyer said.
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First Published:5 Oct 2023, 12:26 AM IST
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