Overnight successes are far and few between, and that doesn’t take anything away from artistes who struggle for years before they sparkle in the spotlight. Priyanshu Painyuli, who has made his mark with his performances in Extraction, Mirzapur, and Rashmi Rocket, among others, believes in quietly doing his job and letting his work make all the noise.

Having said that, the actor is also trying to learn the ropes of social media to promote himself. “From this year on, I will shout a lot about the work I am doing,” he laughs as he gears up for the release of his next film, U-Turn.

Learning only recently how to effectively put out reels and posts, Painyuli says, “I have been told to get out there [on social media] a lot, and I am learning new things. I need to learn from Alaya [U-Turn co-star] and many others who are good at it. But I am happy that it is not the only reason why people are loving me.”

The actor, however, is clear that ultimately it will be his screen choices that will earn him the audience’s permanent trust, as he signs projects “that are important positioning-wise”.

Besides U-Turn, Painyuli has Pippa, also starring Mrunal Thakur and Ishaan Khatter, and an Amazon Prime Video project. “The idea is to make people see me in varied roles so that they can put me anywhere. It is difficult, and I am not yet in a position to say no. You become an actor through the choices you make,” he concludes.