By News18
With 15 years in the industry, Sooraj Pancholi has witnessed Bollywood’s transformation from a tight-knit community to a corporate powerhouse. Having worked on just a handful of projects, Pancholi’s thoughts on the industry’s evolution are refreshingly insightful. In a candid conversation with HT, he shares his thoughts on the impact of social media on stardom and the industry’s evolution.
Sooraj Pancholi is a reluctant social media user, a rarity among actors of his generation. “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have social media. So many actors do not have social media, and I am so jealous of them,” he admitted with a chuckle. Yet, he acknowledged the platform’s power in shaping a person’s image. “Everything can be managed by the amount you have in your bank, at least your visibility can be, and sometimes even your perception,” he revealed, adding, “Everybody is doing it.”
Furthermore, he admires how young actors leverage social media and PR to boost their careers. “They’re very smart. I wish I thought like that. People like me can only do damage control, but that’s about it. As for perception about me, pehle kaam to karoon (first let me do some work),” he shared with a hint of humility.
The notion that social media has diminished the superstar culture in cinema has sparked intense debate. Many argue that the constant scrutiny and oversharing have stripped stars of their mystique. Sooraj Pancholi echoed this sentiment. “There are people as hardworking as the superstars. But social media has made everything so available now. Agar yeh nahi hota, people would have still been superstars. Mystery nahin hai ab (If this wasn’t there, people would still be superstars. There is no mystery now). And there is nothing without it,” he said.
The actor added, “Everything is too available. Pehle biryani sirf Eid pe milti thi (Earlier you used to get biryani only on Eid). Now, Zomato and Swiggy have made it a 20-minute thing. We don’t want it even though it’s available.”
On the professional front, Sooraj’s most recent appearance was in the period drama Kesari Veer, which underperformed at the box office.