Lights, camera, selfie! Many Bollywood actors are adopting social media as a preferred platform for expression and creativity, and are enjoying the freedom it offers. Unlike the structured world of films, social media allows these actors to control their stories and connect directly with their audience.

This shift is driven by a desire for authenticity and the opportunity to showcase one’s true personality without the limitations imposed by film scripts or television roles.

Whether it is advocating for social causes, sharing fitness journeys, or exploring new hobbies like cooking or travelling, platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter provide them with the perfect platform to explore and share their multifaceted lives.

Many actors like Sameera Reddy, Tara Sharma, Celina Jaitly and Shenaz Treasury are solid examples of people who have left traditional media and become significant social media personalities through their talk shows, travel vlogs or funny videos.

Sameera, who has entertained us with films like ‘De Dana Dan’, ‘Race’, ‘Maine Dil Tujhko Diya’, spoke to IndiaToday.in and revealed how social media has changed her personal and professional life, allowing her to finally connect with her fans authentically and on her own terms.

Talking about this she said, “Social media has allowed me to be myself, which has given me a chance to connect with the audience, just like I wanted to from day one.

Sameera said, “This is my journey to understand myself and redefine myself with a community of people who really understand me and want to know that side of me.”

Sameera further explained that her work as a social media influencer is more liberating, as she no longer has to grapple with the pressures and beauty norms of the entertainment industry.

The actress spoke about how earlier she had to deal with the pressures of ageing, body issues and the constant fear of being replaced.

She said, “When I was acting, I would have a lot of mood swings because if I gained even 1 kg of weight, if I got a single pimple, if someone else replaced me. I was very scared of ageing and that people wouldn’t like me. That’s how beauty standards are and it was very tough.”

A prominent figure in the entertainment industry and a former Miss India and Miss Universe runner-up, actor Celina Jaitly tells IndiaToday.in how her versatile career gives her a global platform and significant following, allowing her to make an impact with her content on social media.

Sharing her thoughts with us she said, “I don’t think I am an influencer. I am primarily an actor and as an actor and former Miss India and Miss Universe runner-up, I have global influence and fan following. As a result, I was only conscious of the impact and influence of my self-projection.”

On the other hand, Shenaz Treasury, who has worked in films like ‘Ishq Wisk’ and ‘Delhi Belly’, spoke about how creating content was more challenging than acting.

Sharing his perspective, he said, “As an actor, you are spoilt. You have someone else who has written the script, shot and directed it. You just have to come there, they make you look beautiful, do your hair, makeup and then you go and play your character. For me, being an actor is very easy because you just have to go on the set and shoot without thinking much about your role.”

“I find creating content more challenging and it is different,” Shenaz said.

Shenaz spoke about how after living abroad for several years, including in Thailand, Hong Kong and the US, she had several career changes which eventually led to her moving back to India.

His journey also included starring in the popular American daytime show ‘One Life to Live’. Despite his concerns about returning to India, he found a new passion in making travel videos, which gained immense popularity online.

Narrating her story, Shenaz said, “I did not stay in India for long. After ‘Ishq Vishq’ I stayed in Thailand, Hong Kong and then when I came back to India, I got the film ‘Delhi Belly’. Then I went to the US where I did the American daytime show ‘One Life to Live’ after which I stayed there for seven years.”

She said, “I was still in the US in 2018 when I was really homesick and didn’t know what I was going to do in India because I felt people had forgotten me. And that was when I went to Bali and made a YouTube video about the country which got 1.2 million views. After that, I got this idea of ​​travelling and making videos.”

“Then I got a call from Ola India offering me money to make some videos for them and put them on Instagram. That’s when I got the idea of ​​making money from it. I was thinking of going back to India, but I didn’t know what I would do there because my acting career was over as I had not been in India for seven years,” Shenaz told IndiaToday.in.

Despite being away from the silver screen, Tara Sharma maintains a close bond with her fans through her popular chat show ‘The Tara Sharma Show’. She is known for working in films like ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, ‘Aksar’, ‘Om Jai Jagdish’.

Speaking to IndiaToday.in, Tara said she started her talk show about 14 years ago when she wanted to return to acting after the birth of her first child, but had fewer offers at that time.

“Soon after my first son was born, I wanted to work, but I wasn’t getting that many offers,” Tara said.

He revealed that he learned it all on his own and said, “I remembered my father’s words: ‘Don’t sit around and wait for a call with an offer. If you want to do something, make it.’ That’s when I learned how to create, produce and host my own show.”

Tara said, “‘The Tara Sharma Show’ started in my drawing room where I called sponsors. The show evolved into a platform where I talk to inspirational people who think about positive change. To be honest, the show started almost 14 years ago, when there was no such thing as social media.”

Apart from her show, the actress is quite vocal on social issues and she interacts with her fans through her live sessions on Instagram and Facebook.

Tara proudly said, “It’s amazing because social media is a platform that should be used wisely. You can really make an impact with your content. I’m not a superstar, but I have over 14 million views on my YouTube channel. And I never thought I would get paid for it.”

Celina Jaitly also spoke about how she realised that making a good impact is a personal responsibility. “I had to make sure that whatever content I was putting out made sense and had a positive impact, influence and impact on my fans,” the ‘No Entry’ actress said.

So have they been forgotten?

Tara said, “People say, ‘Oh, you’re not on a screen,’ and I respond, ‘I’m on a screen all the time.’ I have my Instagram. It’s a screen, right?”

It’s just a different screen. It’s about a change in mindset. The screen is no longer just the silver screen; it’s on most people’s phones. For me, it’s about embracing it. I love films, creating other people’s content and creating my own content, be it a show, a film or something else,” Tara concludes.

It would not be wrong to say that these actors have left no stone unturned to shine in the digital world. Instead of film scripts, they have found new and better ways to connect with their fans through Instagram stories.

They have reinvented themselves, and proven that the spotlight can shine just as brightly from a phone screen as it can from a film set.