An actor’s life is no cakewalk, especially in this day and age of social media, which leads to relentless scrutiny. Remaining visible and relevant despite the underperformance of their films at the box office has become key. Apart from proving their mettle before the camera, they are constantly under the pressure to make sure that their Instagram game is on-point. The paparazzi culture and catering to it has emerged as another cog in the wheel for a new-age star.
Alaya F, who has already captured the imagination of many filmmakers with her acting chops and have become one of the most sought-after names in Bollywood, acknowledges these pressures. In an exclusive chat with News18, she says that not being forgotten by the audience has begun to take a precedence over carving a niche for herself in the Hindi film industry. “I don’t worry about standing out from the crowd. For me, attaining visibility is the most important thing. That’s my main focus right now,” she states with her signature candour.
Though she is happy to have struck a chord with the urban multiplex-going audience, she intends on percolating to those in smaller towns with her choices going ahead. “I’m really proud of the choices that I’ve made. I’ve been able to play some really great roles. I think I’ve really managed to show my range to the industry. People recognise me in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. But if I go somewhere else, nobody will have a damn clue about who I am because my films, so far, have catered to the urban audience just by default,” she explains.
The actor, who was recently seen headlining U-Turn, adds, “What my goal over the next two years or longer if needed, is also to somehow connect with a much larger audience. The audience that knows me likes me but I need more people to come in and know me and my films. In that sense, I think it has boiled down to the race of visibility and hence acceptance more than anything else today.”
Social media, today, is abuzz with conversations about how different Gen-Z actors have similar images and that being unique has become a myth today. Alaya, however, disagrees. “Everyone by default, today, stands out in their own way because everyone’s doing their own thing. Anyone doing things in a similar way like me is still doing it differently. Today there’s more to an actor than just the film they do – it’s the way they talk in an interview, handle their social media, brands they endorse and their paparazzi videos. All of these things help add an individual character to an actor,” she elaborates.
For the Freddy (2022) and Jawaani Jaaneman (2020) actor, the challenge lies in treading the fine line between carrying a realistic image and the expectations thrusted on young actors today. “I talk very correctly in interviews. But sometimes I want to just let go and say whatever I want to. A lot of the time, right before I start an interview, I tell myself that I’m going to just say things and be myself. But then when I start talking, I wonder why do I need to make it controversial unnecessarily? Then I come back to being sensitive and correct, but that doesn’t mean that I fake it,” she points out.
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