Social media influencers make their way to acting

From CarryMinati to Shirley Setia, cyber celebrities are translating their online popularity into screen stardom

They were already famous, having created a fiercely loyal fan base over the years with their prowess as social media influencers. This year, many of them will cash in on their digital fame to try and carve a career in acting.

For these cyber celebrities, the lure is obviously bigger glamour. For film and show makers, the appeal lies in adding boost to popular content, using the dedicated fan base of such influencers. Compared to rank newcomers, casting social media sensations lets filmmakers introduce a new face that already has been accepted by the audience.

We bring you a list of social media influencers whose acting debuts deserve attention:

CarryMinati

Ajey Nagar, popular as CarryMinati on social media, is all set to enter Bollywood with a role in the Amitabh Bachchan-Ajay Devgn starrer, MayDay. He will play a social media sensation. “In the past, I was offered film roles but I agreed to be a part of this project because I had the opportunity to play myself and bring my alias, Carry Minati alive on the 70 mm screen,” CarryMinati said while talking about his acting debut. The film also stars Rakul Preet Singh, Angira Dhar and Aakanksha Singh, and is slated to release on April 29, 2022.

Prajakta Koli

Indian YouTube sensation Prajakta Koli will walk into Bollywood with the film Jug Jug Jiyo, which stars Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Varun Dhawan. The film is directed by Raj Mehta. “The bar has been set high and I’m keeping my fingers crossed to meet the expectations of everyone around me as best as I can. This is going to be an immense learning experience and lots and lots of fun too,” said Prajakta, widely known for her YouTuber alter-ego MostlySane.

Sahil Khattar

Sahil began his journey as a radio jockey before getting noticed through his YouTube videos for Being India. After hosting several gigs, he will be making his Bollywood debut in Ranveer Singh-starrer 83. Sahil will be seen in the role of wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani in the film, which also stars Saqib Saleem, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jiiva, Chirag Patil and Adinath Kothare in key roles, along with Deepika Padukone as Kapil’s wife Romi Dev.

Shirley Setia

Shirley, who is a social media sensation and singer, will make her Bollywood debut with Nikamma, which also stars Abhimanyu Dassani. Another highlight of Nikamma is that the film marks Shilpa Shetty’s comeback on the big screen after a hiatus of 13 years.

Dolly Singh

Influencer and actor Dolly Singh recently made her acting debut with comedy series Bhaag Beanie Bhaag. She was seen as the best friend of the main protagonist, essayed by Swara Bhasker. Her performance was lauded, and is expected to return in the second season of the web show.

Harsh Beniwal

Harsh, who is a YouTube sensation, made his Bollywood debut with Student Of The Year 2. He shot to fame with his videos on Dubsmash that went viral in 2015. Later, he started creating comedy vines and garnered a huge social media following. He was also seen in a web show Who’s Your Daddy?.