Manraj Singh, who plays Harshvardhan in Zee TV‘s Tumm Se Tumm Tak, which is produced under the banner Studio LSD, believes that while actors were always under pressure to look a certain way, it increased significantly in the last decade. He stressed that social media is one of the reasons for it, and it has become a game of branding.
He said, “I would say the pressure has increased a lot. Definitely, it’s increased because of social media and being constantly out there under scrutiny. You are compared with others, and it’s not just about your craft anymore. It’s also about how you spend your day, where you live, and what you do—everything is under the public eye. You even start judging yourself against what you see around you, which makes you stop appreciating what you already have. That’s the pressure we deal with today, which wasn’t the case before.”
“From my observation, it really shifted post-2016. You now have to look a certain way, and you also need to maintain a perception. It has become all about image and branding, and that’s how you have to sell yourself. It feels like a loop—sometimes we think the audience wants this, and sometimes creators think they need to give this. We are stuck in that constant cycle,” he added.
He also stressed that Indian cinema has evolved in terms of looks and storytelling. He said, “Between 2010 and 2020, Indian cinema had a great run, especially with the rise of OTT platforms. People started watching world cinema, and post-COVID, the taste here also shifted. However, I feel things are becoming a little regressive again in some areas.”
“On the other hand, the South Indian industries, especially Malayalam cinema, have really raised the bar with rooted, realistic storytelling that doesn’t depend much on glamour. Since people are now watching these films dubbed or with subtitles, the audience’s taste has also evolved,” he added.
Citing the example of his show Tumm Se Tumm Tak, he also mentioned that Indian television is also changing. “For example, Tumm Se Tumm Tak isn’t a regular saas-bahu story—it’s a different kind of love story, and people are receiving it well. That shows audiences are ready for change,” Manraj ended.
