MUMBAI: Casting director Mukesh Chhabra adds that many young actors might believe that social media following is more important than talent, patience, and strength. Chhabra, who has been casting for major Bollywood films, has attacked the trend of young performers boasting about their online following, calling it a “scam” that will never take them far.

“This generation is very different. They focus more on social media rather than their craft,” discussed in the most recent interview where he sits to chat about his latest Sony LIV series, Chamak.

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He added, “I have seen Rajkumar Rao struggling, I have seen Vicky Kaushal work hard. Today’s youngsters talk about making reels, brag about their Instagram followers list. This school of thought is very different, I feel sad for this generation. I am depressed and sad that why they are not understanding that this is not how you will get work.”

Chhabra claims that he often wonders about modern actors whose social media following is their whole persona. Chhabra fears what would happen to them if these applications vanish overnight because they are unable to support themselves with acting talent.

He mentioned, “The art will stay forever. This won’t take you anywhere. Ultimately it is all about your craft and acting. They think all of this will help them reach somewhere and will get noticed– but it is a scam. You have to be the level of a Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkumar Rao, to be in this field and be at it. Look at Vijay Verma, he has been here for so many years, same for Jaideep Ahlawat. The youth is not understanding.”

When asked, Chhabra said, “Luckily I don’t work with such directors. A Raju Hirani will never ask me to go and find influencers. Nitesh Tiwari, Anubhav Sinha, Hansal Mehta or an Imtiaz Ali won’t ever. These makers never do it, which is why I feel blessed. They are far removed from all of this anyway.”

Regarding work, Mukesh Chhabra is waiting on the release of his acting project, Chamak, and Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki, for which he handled the casting. The musical thriller follows the tale of Kaala, a young, promising rapper from Canada who returns to Punjab and investigates the shooting death of iconic singer Taara Singh after a sold-out show.

The musical thriller was written and directed by Rohit Jugraj Chauhan, will be released on December 7. Paramvir Singh Cheema, Manoj Pahwa, Gippy Garewal, Mohit Malik, Isha Talwar, Prince Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder (Vicky) Pal, and Akasa Singh are among the ensemble members of Chamak.

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Credit- The Indian Express