Is casting content creators in acting roles sacrificing artistic depth in favor of marketing appeal? We introspect

We've seen many content creators take on acting roles, yet it's rare to find them play roles that leave a lasting impression on the audience. This makes us wonder if it's more about their online popularity and less about their artistic expansion.

This weekend, I watched TTT’s Baat Pakki, featuring Apoorva Mukhija and Shray Rai Tiwari in the lead roles. You wouldn't expect much from a mini-series and this too had less to offer in terms of a good storyline. The show revolves around conversations about modern romantic relationships and the life of a social media star, which unfortunately felt predictable and, at times, uninteresting. There were moments when it felt less like a show and more like an extended advertisement, with brand promotions and product placements popping up so frequently taking away from whatever little engagement the story was trying to build. However, this isn’t a review of Baat Pakki, but an attempt to understand how often we get to see creators take on roles that truly challenge them, especially with many content creators are getting acting opportunities. 

It’s no secret that stardom plays a role in casting decisions, and creators with a stronger influence over their audience often get cast in shows to pull in viewership. But is that really all there is to it? Do creators hold value beyond their follower count, with something more to offer that we don't see on screen?

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We’re seeing more and more content creators stepping into acting, but like Apoorva's role in Baat Pakki, they often feel like just an extension of the creators' internet persona rather than something that really challenges them as performers. For instance, even after hearing the bad reviews of Thank You For Coming as many criticized its weak storyline, forced humor, and inconsistent execution—I still decided to watch it, to see Kusha Kapila in a proper acting role. What surprised me, though, was her screen presence which was felt more like a cameo. For the few scenes she was present, the character felt like an extended version of her online persona rather than a fully developed character. This was especially surprising considering her heavy feature in all the promotions, made it seem like she had a much bigger role than what was actually delivered on screen.

We also remember the reaction Harsh Beniwal’s role in Student of the Year 2 got on social media. His fans, initially thrilled to see him make his Bollywood debut, were left disappointed by how little significance his character actually had in the film. Memes and tweets flooded in and made it clear that his casting felt more like a marketing move than a genuine attempt to integrate him into the story. While he had a decent screen presence and delivered some comic relief, his role ultimately felt like an afterthought as if it is something added to appeal to his digital audience rather than a meaningful part of the narrative. Similarly, Anubhav Singh Bassi’s performance in Tu Jhooti Main Makkar faced a comparable reception, where his inclusion appeared to be driven more by his online popularity than by a well-developed character arc. 

Whether it’s in web series, films, or even brand-driven projects, there’s a pattern where creators end up playing characters that closely resemble the personalities they’ve built online—quirky, relatable, or exaggerated versions of themselves. While this makes sense from a marketing perspective, the same limits their growth as actors as they rarely get to step outside their comfort zones. Instead of experimenting with complex or layered characters, they often play it safe, sticking to roles that feel familiar and easy to execute. The result is that their performances, while entertaining, don’t feel fresh making it hard for them to develop as actors rather than just influencers trying out acting. 

It can be argued that YouTubers have more room for experimentation as the platform favors long-form content—in fact, Bhuvan Bam’s work on the show Dhindora stands as an example of this. Even though the characters he portrays bear a resemblance to his YouTube sketches, the content still ventures into uncharted territory, giving us a fresh, experimental take. Bhuvan's character in Taaza Khabar was another one from his acting venture that had a different approach than the typical light-hearted style his audience expects. Similarly, while Prajakta Koli has built a loyal fan base with her work in Mismatched, what gets far less discussed is her portrayal of Asha in the short film Khayali Pulaao, an out of the box character for a comedy creator like her. Asha is depicted as a young woman grappling with societal expectations and daring to break away from the norm. It works because the plot is so good it allows Prajakta to show off her range as an actor by pushing her beyond the safe, familiar online territory we have seen her in. The Gujarati horror-comedy Jhamkudi, directed by Umang Vyas and starring Manasi Parekh and Viraj Ghelani among others, is another movie that performed well at the box office with an influencer as one of the leads that explored a horror-comedy genre that is not traditionally well-explored in India. This film showed us that creative experimentation and handing creators with the right challenging roles can succeed even in niche categories. 

Watching creators excel in their acting ventures proves that audiences are more than willing to support their favorite creators on the big screen, genuinely wanting to see them deliver good content. The problem is that, unfortunately, most creators end up taking weak or one-dimensional roles for exposure, while production houses, look at them more like marketing strategies than artistic choices. It's easier for these houses to cast digital stars for their built-in fan base which can guarantee buzz around the project and not necessarily because they best fit the role. A mini-series packed with multiple product placements in a single episode might be profitable for everyone involved in the production, but in the long run, it only strengthens the idea that digital creators, while trying their hand at acting, can only take up mediocre roles with limited opportunities. Instead of being recognized as serious performers, they end up with the sole purpose of attracting their existing fan base and pushing brands rather than adding any weight to the script. The bigger issue is that if this keeps happening, it will become even harder for content creators who love acting to break out of the influencer label and be taken seriously. 

The irony lies in the fact that many famous creators have built their fame on creating a distinct style of content, yet when it comes to acting, their performances often come off as uninspired and lacklustre. It makes you wonder whether their choices in roles are driven by the lure of exposure rather than by a commitment to quality scripts that could challenge them artistically. You can't help but think whether their quest for popularity might be sacrificing the creativity and distinctiveness that was what made them so interesting in the first place.

What are your thoughts on this? Tell us in the comments below! 

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