Pravina Deshpande, who has done films like Ready, Jalebi, Ek Villain, Monsoon Out, Khamosh Adalat Jari Hai, Jalebi, Bose: Dead/Alive, Avrodh, and Rocket Boys, to name a few, believes social media has become a very important part of our lives today. She feels it’s a good platform to reach people and showcase our talent. But she likes to keep it private and stays true to her real self.
She said, “Social media plays a vital role these days. People have made big fortunes out of it. For actors, it’s a boon, for sure. I personally use digital media for my own growth as an actor and as a human being. I can see others’ work, appreciate and learn what to do and what not to do, what’s trending, what’s coming up, and also reach casting team members. I am a little private, and my posts are generally work-related. I remain true to myself on social media.”
She doesn’t get overwhelmed by seeing others around her become more popular than her. She is her own competition, and she believes that there is something for everyone out there. “It’s interesting to see how a few have the talent to showcase themselves and their work and become popular.That surely takes a lot of effort, I feel. Since I have always been my own competitor and selective about what I accept, I know such things take time. I am pretty cool about others doing well and hope to get what I desire and deserve. There is a lot of work and something good for everyone,” she said. Pravina also credited social media for getting her some interesting roles, like playing Smt. Prabhavati Bose (Netaji’s mother) in Bose: Dead/Alive, a marathi film( unreleased ) and a short film in Marathi, “Prakash”, on Alzheimer’s, which won many awards and was screened at the Stuttgart International Film Festival. She added, “So it surely works.”
She also revealed that casting teams refer to an actor’s social media a lot more these days. About her being less active on these platforms she says, ”I have fewer posts, but I get lot of love and support on my posts. I am so grateful for that, though I understand I have to share more. Social media is a great tool for casting, but casting outside the box has given great results these days. Also, traditional acting skills and the actor’s experience should not be overlooked,” she said. “A couple of years ago, I lost a short story with a brand, as they wanted the actor to put it as a story on Instagram for a day. No points for guessing that after talking about commercials and blocking the dates, they all vanished. So that was a learning, a message in bold letters,” she added.
