Apr 21, 2025 09:30 AM IST
Khakee The Bengal Chapter actor Aadil Zafar Khan talks about social media following becoming a requisite for casting and influencers taking over acting jobs
Aadil Zafar Khan made his acting debut on the big screen with Shikara (2020). However, it is the web space that gave him more opportunities to explore his skills, with his most recent performance in Khakee The Bengal Chapter earning him rave reviews. “Shikara came in February 2020. Then in March, the entire world went into lockdown, so no work happened for a very long time. Then after two years of being out of sight and out of mind, (filmmaker) Neeraj Pandey sir gave me Special Ops 1.5, and it somewhere revived my career,” he says.
Belonging to the young crowd of actors in the industry, the actor admits to facing one big challenge that didn’t exist before, the number of Instagram followers determining casting. However, she feels it should be the other way round. “Social media following should be the byproduct of your work in acting. Thankfully, I feel it’s calming down a little. We have makers like Neeraj Pandey who want to see if an actor is fitting the part and not the number of followers they have. They are big enough themselves to get eyeballs for the project they are making,” he says.
Although, Aadil asserts that he understands where the makers are coming from. “It is understandable because if you look at it from a business or commerce perspective, if an actor brings a certain amount of reach, it only helps. Having said that, if that becomes a priority than a problem arises. If it is a byproduct as you have done so well in your work that you have got the following, that’s understandable. But if it becomes a requirement, then that’s a problem. There is a difference between content creators and actors, and it should be seen,” he says.
The actor expresses his gratitude to the medium for giving him the chance to show his versatility with shows like Shoorveer, Special Ops 1.5 and Khakee. “That is what generally what actors want so that they don’t get typecast. It’s my mother’s blessings from up there that it is all happening naturally and I am being challenged as an actor,” he says, adding that while he feels content with the work coming his way, his desire for acceptance from the audience keeps him motivated: “The hunger of being appreciated and loved by the crowd will never end. No matter how far I go in my career, I would want that to increase as acceptance is your earning as an actor. However much I have gotten in the past, has not disappointed me and what all I am getting now or will do in future, I am grateful for it.”
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