19092024-LSTL-01.qxd 9/18/2024 8:16 PM Page 1 c m y b STREE 2 MAKES HISTORY Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao’s Stree 2 has etched its name in cinematic history by becoming the highestgrossing Hindi film ever, surpassing the lifetime collections of Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan. Stree 2 earned a remarkable ~453.60 crore net in its second week alone. TRIBUNE For the future Life After Ganesh visarjan, Ayushmann Khurrana took to Mumbai’s Versova beach for a clean up drive. He said it was important to make efforts towards protecting the environment. LUDHIANA | THURSDAY | 19 SEPTEMBER 2024 Awesome ORRY! Internet’s darling and a prominent socialite, Orhan Awatramani, also known as Orry, skyrocketed to fame in 2023 after he shared his photos with Bollywood’s biggest stars on social media. He quickly made headlines for his appearances at high-profile, star-studded events and shows. Orry’s conscious choice to keep his profession a mystery only heightened public curiosity, making him a favourite of both the paparazzi and his fans. Seizing the moment, Orry transitioned into a full-time influencer, now highly sought after for event appearances and brand collaborations. With his popularity continuing to rise, it wouldn’t be very surprising if we soon saw him starring in a Bollywood blockbuster! The social media star was seen making a wild card entry in Big Boss last year. And guess what, Orry is the latest brand ambassador of PVR Inox! He recently took to Instagram to announce his cameo in a Hollywood movie. — TNS SAHIBA BALI AnanditaGupta S OCIAL MEDIA influencers are driving dinner table conversations now; becoming pop culture references and taking over the reins of Bollywood with aplomb. Initially, it was models like John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Aishwaria Rai and Sushmita Sen, who were envied for snatching up the actors’ roles. And now, we have influencers like Kusha Kapila, Prajakta Koli, and Sumukhi Suresh grabbing a fair share of their Bollywood as well as OTT pies. One of the key benefits of casting influencers in movies is that they have millions of active fans. So, when they promote their movies on their platforms, filmmakers get to reach vast audiences. We talk to some of these feisty content creators. Billi Mausi chali Bollywood After acing the influencer game (with her satirical portrayal of a quintessential Punjabi aunty, Billi Mausi), 34-year-old social media star Kusha Kapila has her calendar choc-a-bloc with acting assignments. After an interesting cameo in hit Netflix series Masaba Masaba, and movies like Thank You for Coming, Sukhee and Plan A Plan B, the digital creator (with 3.7 million followers on Instagram) is seen playing lead in Disney+Hostar’s refreshing series Life Hill Gayi. “Shortform digital content is good, but it will be great to be in films or series which are remembered for long,” she says. In sane space RJ-turned-comedy influencer Prajakta Koli melted everyone’s heart with her performances as Dimple in Netflix romcom Mismatched. More acting gigs followed, including Neeyat and family entertainer Jugjugg Jeeyo, where she was nominated for the Filmfare (Best Female Debut) award. The 31-year-old digital sensation behind her immensely popular channel Mostly Sane (with seven million plus followers) looks towards her viewers for direction. “The comment section on my channel is where I look for direction. My viewers are brutally honest and their feedback has always been my guiding light, whether it’s acting or content creation,” says the dusky beauty, who believes that the authenticity influencers bring to the screen is unmatched. Or Mismatched, do we say? PRAJAKTA KOLI Likes, camera... action ner Sumukhi Suresh kept on making people laugh, rising to fame with Behti Naak, a YouTube series created by her. She also acted in the mockumentary web series Better Life Foundation by Naveen Richard. Eventually, she created and starred in the acclaimed Amazon Prime Video show Pushpavalli, season one and two. Sumukhi has created and acted in shows across OTT platforms, namely Beauty and the Feast for Hotstar, Banake Dikha for Zomato and Lust Stories for Netflix. She has starred in Kannada feature film Humble Politician Nograj and turned producer with Notary, a short film that’s doing the rounds at festivals. And now, Sumukhi is all set to star in Netflix’s new romcom series The Royals, starring Ishaan Khattar, Bhumi Pednekar and Zeenat Aman, among others. “The year 2024 for me started with acting in this beautiful show with the juiciest ensemble ever. It has been the most unexpected gift I have received,” beams Suresh, adding, “Unlike actors who play scripted roles, influencers are known for their genuine, unfiltered personas. They bring relatability and vulnerability to the screen beautifully.” Shining bright with Chamkeela Blossoming with Pushpavalli Coming from a traditional South Indian family, her decision to pursue comedy was a leap into the unknown. However, stand-up-comedian, influencer and unapologetic showrun- Starting as a child actor in theatre, Sahiba Bali navigated her way through various fields — from cricket broadcasting, content creation and marketing to acting. Born to a Punjabi Hindu mom and a Kashmiri Sikh dad, this ANKUSH BAHUGUNA The route to Bollywood is no longer only through the ramp or beauty pageants. Filmmakers have found their latest muse, and it’s the influencers lovely young lady is a content creator, with a passion for travelling, food and wellness. Known for projects Bard of Blood (2019), Tanaav (2022) and Laila Majnu (2018), Sahiba was recently seen in Imtiaz Ali’s critically acclaimed Chamkeela. “Influencers get eyeballs, but eventually they only deliver hits if they are good in the craft of acting. Mumbai is a fascinating illusion where dreamers get lost and achievers make it big,” says the actress, emphasising the value of hard work and discipline over social media popularity. KUSHA KAPILA Winging it with Ankush Today, he is India’s number one beauty content creator in the men’s category. From having his own YouTube show, Wing It with Ankush, to walking the Cannes Red Carpet in 2024, Ankush Bahuguna has finally got the success he deserved. With a plethora of skills under his belt (quite like his name suggests), Bahuguna made and starred in his own short film titled Almost, which was received well. “I was featured in a short film Badboli Bhavna and am now confident to embrace my Bollywood dreams,” shares the effervescent Delhi boy, who has shifted base to Mumbai and is busy auditioning for meaty roles to make it big in Bollywood. “Acting was always Plan A and I’m finally at a place in life where I can give this dream my all. Along the way, I also realised how grateful I am to the audience I’ve built, and I’d never let that go.” SUMUKHI SURESH The UP Govt’s move to engage influencers to promote state schemes cheers the digital community, which would like to see influencing as a mainstream career option Sheetal T he UP Government has come up with the UP Digital Media Policy, 2024, which allows influencers to promote state schemes and earn up Rs 8 lakh per month... something that comes as welcome news for influencers. With newfound love and respect for this influencer generation, influencing has become a mainstream career option! Lifestyle and fashion creator Muskaan Khandelwal calls UP government’s announcement a recognition for digital content creators’ community. “With this new initiative of the UP government, there will be a shift in how influencers are perceived. While there’s a sense that ‘we have arrived’, there’s still much more to do. As influencers, we face challenges like inconsistent income streams, the pressure to stay relevant and the constant need for creativity. It’s still a relatively new career path and for it to be seen as truly mainstream, we need more stability and recognition across industries,” she adds. Digital content creator and actress Miloni Growing influence Jhonsa believes that the perception has definitely changed as people got platforms to showcase their skills and productivity. “The chances of experimentation in a creative space increase, and hence monetisation and the scope of work does too, which makes it as good as any other career choice for someone. Also, at this point it all comes down to a mix of hard work, luck and talent.” Actress Shivangi Verma also thinks that content creation is in. She says, “If the UP Government wants to incentivise the reach of influencers and social media, there is nothing wrong in it. Everything can co-exist. In the digital age, everyone is a consumer and government too JEETUSRI wants to reach out to the general public about their policies. What better way than spreading awareness through social media influencers or digital content creators.” Whereas Khandelwal opines that even though government grant is a great start, there’s a need to hold workshops, mentorship programmes, and collaborations between the government and influencers. She adds, “By c m y b MUSKAAN KHANDELWAL providing resources for budding content creators, the government can help shape this evolving industry and encourage more young people to pursue it confidently.” On the other hand, Jeetusri, fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer, is concerned how there are still many different states wherein influencers are not allowed to shoot at specific locations. She explains, “First and fore- MILONI JHONSA SHIVANGI VERMA most, influencers need the support from the government with respect to permission to shoot. As per job categories, there are various roles which could be created for influencers as in there are so many breakthrough technologies government is using to make livelihoods easy and clean. So, showcasing that through influencers would make a bigger impact on citizens.”