Alaya F made her Bollywood debut with Jawaani Jaaneman.
Alaya F exclusively tells News18 Showsha that not being forgotten by the public started to take precedence over creating a niche for herself in Bollywood.
An actor’s life is no small feat, especially in the age of social media, which leads to relentless scrutiny. Staying visible and relevant despite their films underperforming at the box office has become paramount. Along with proving their mettle in front of the camera, they’re constantly under pressure to make sure their Instagram game is on point. Paparazzi culture and its restoration has become another cog for a new age star.
Alaya F, who has already captured the imagination of many filmmakers with her acting skills and become one of the most sought after names in Bollywood, acknowledges these pressures. In an exclusive chat with News18, she says being remembered by the public started to take precedence over creating a niche for herself in the Hindi film industry. “I don’t care about standing out from the crowd. For me, achieving visibility is the most important thing. This is my main objective at the moment,” she declares with her characteristic candor.
While she’s happy to have struck a chord with urban multiplex audiences, she’s intent on infiltrating smaller towns with her upcoming picks. “I’m really proud of the choices I made. I was able to play very good roles. I think I really succeeded in showing my range to the industry. People recognize me in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. But if I go somewhere else, no one will have a clue who I am because my films, so far, have catered to urban audiences by default,” she explains.
The actor, who was recently seen headlining U-Turn, adds, “What my goal over the next couple of years or more if necessary is also to connect in some way with a much larger audience. The audience that knows me loves me but I need more people to come and get to know me and my films. In that sense, I think it has come down to the race for visibility and therefore 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 is doing their thing. Anyone who does things the same way I always do things differently. Today, an actor isn’t just about the movie he makes – it’s the way he speaks in an interview, manages his social media, the brands he endorses and his paparazzi videos. All of those things help add an individual character to an actor,” she explains.
For the actor of Freddy (2022) and Jawaani Jaaneman (2020), the challenge is to find the right balance between carrying a realistic image and the expectations imposed on young actors today. “I speak very correctly in interviews. But sometimes I want to let go and say what I want. Most of the time, right before I start an interview, I tell myself that I’m just going to say things and be myself. But when I start talking, I wonder why do I need to make it unnecessarily controversial? Then I become sensitive and correct again, but that doesn’t mean I’m pretending,” she points out.
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