Megha Chakraborty: Many senior artists aren't getting work because they aren't engaged on social media

Actress Megha Chakraborty says that social media has become very important nowadays. She says that no matter how experienced you are, social media presence decides your destiny in this industry. In fact, she adds that experience doesn’t matter much here.

“You occasionally decline to take up a job because of money concerns. It makes no difference whether you're a good actor or not. They're okay with having anyone in that budget. And a large number of actors have agreed to work on the film on a tight budget. So it's not like they're looking for a specific star or a specific budget. They may be less deserving, but with a large following and a large budget, they may be cast. So whoever is trending and has a large number of followers is being cast, not on the basis of their merit or skill, not even on experience. Whatever industry you choose, you will progressively grow. But in this industry, it makes no difference how much experience you have. I've noticed a lot of senior artists who aren't getting work because they aren't engaged on social media. Actors who are just active on social media are getting opportunities instead of them. So social media now rules everything. It's a harsh reality,” she says.

Finding the right work opportunity is a task, she says, adding, “If you are famous on social media, you may become an actress since lip sync and dancing make you famous nowadays. You can be an actor if you have a large number of followers, in millions. You'll have a chance whether you're an excellent or an awful actress. Clearly, competition has intensified. And I'm not sure which work is better; OTT, TV or Film. I come from a middle-class background, I can't just remain at home and wait for an opportunity to come my way. Struggle for one to two years before breaking into OTT. Because you work all month, you can't do OTT while doing TV. You don't have much time, and it's not possible for us to manage it. So, you either have to wait or say no to TV. It is undeniably challenging.”

Many times, people who are not that good at their jobs, get projects, she says, adding, “I see a lot of underserved individuals who were famous and did fantastic jobs, but in terms of acting, they're not good and are below average, yet their shows are still popular. And no one will even mention the acting. Only through appearing on hit shows or reality shows do their fan bases grow and they become famous. We are dissatisfied only when a deserving person is denied an opportunity to work. Call it fate or whatever you want, but I usually consider it as such. So it's important to be at the right place at the right moment. You cannot alter things, but you can push yourself to improve and work hard. We don't have a choice. I cannot openly proclaim that this individual is undeserving and make a scene in order to get famous since we have seen people become famous as a result of bad trolling. So, I'm not going to do it. So, I'm dealing with it the way I am. I'm doing excellent work, I'm happy with what I'm getting, and I want the public to continue to love me. Apart from that, it's up to fate. I'm looking forward to my hard work.”