EXCLUSIVE: Abhimanyu Singh recalls he lost a big ad film for not being on Instagram; says, “How many followers I have should not be the criteria”
Actor Abhimanyu Singh has spent much of his career away from social media, choosing to let his work speak for itself. However, the actor recently joined Instagram after years of staying away from social platforms. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Singh revealed that pressure from his wife, friends, production houses and PR team eventually convinced him to make the move.
Explaining why he finally decided to join social media, Singh said, “See, my wife was behind my life. Then a couple of my friends were behind my life. Then a couple of production houses came along and started pressurising me. How would we tag you? And you will miss out. In the main cast, how will we tag you? Because it’s very important.”
He revealed that his PR team eventually told him it was time to get on social media. “And finally, my PR told me that enough is enough. And it’s high time. You should now come on to it. And that’s how I did it. I’m now learning and trying to discover it,” Singh said.
The actor, however, admitted that he is still figuring out how he feels about his new social media presence.
“It’s too early. I have to just go through it. I have to be a little patient and feel how I feel with it. How I connect with my audience. How they are responding to me,” he said.
At the same time, Singh acknowledged the advantages of social media, particularly when it comes to connecting directly with an audience. “But it’s a good medium, I would say. Because you can easily connect with your fans. Your fans can text you. Give you messages. Give feedback to you. So, you feel connected. And that’s a great feeling,” he added.
Abhimanyu Singh on Social Media Followers Influencing Casting
Social media presence and follower count have increasingly become part of conversations around casting, particularly for advertising projects. Singh said he has personally experienced situations where not having a social media account worked against him.
“No, I did not face that. Because maybe for ad films, I have faced it a couple of times,” he said.
The actor recalled losing out on a major advertising opportunity after the brand discovered that he was not active on social media. “When I was about to get a big ad. Big brand. And then suddenly when they came to know that I was not active on social media and I had no social media account or I am not on Instagram, they just pulled back,” he revealed.
Singh admitted that the experience affected him, but maintained that social media following should not determine an actor’s suitability for a role or brand campaign.
“And I felt it. I felt bad because that should not be the criteria (about) how many followers I have,” he said.
He added that his own casting has largely been based on his acting abilities and previous work. “But my casting was done thoroughly on the basis of my talent and my past work,” Singh said.
However, the actor revealed that some casting directors have told him that social media popularity is now being considered for several supporting roles.
“A couple of casting directors told me that sir, apart from hero, heroine and villain, every character we are opting for, we are deciding on the basis of their social media popularity,” he said.
Singh concluded, “I mean a couple of casting directors told me that. Yeah, of course it is playing a big role nowadays. For casting also.”
Abhimanyu Singh has built a reputation for playing intense and complex characters across Hindi, Telugu and Tamil cinema. He has appeared in films including Gulaal, Sye, Rakta Charitra, Gabbar Singh, Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru and Devara: Part 1. He was recently seen as Hansraj Meena in Amazon Prime Video’s Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, which has been renewed for a second season, and in Batwara 1947, backed by Aamir Khan Productions and starring Sunny Deol.
Singh’s comments come at a time when social media visibility continues to be discussed as a factor in the entertainment industry’s casting and promotional ecosystem.
The post EXCLUSIVE: Abhimanyu Singh recalls he lost a big ad film for not being on Instagram; says, “How many followers I have should not be the criteria” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.