Talent over social media followers, that’s what actor Rajshri Deshpande hopes people “see through” during the process of casting. The Trial By Fire actor shares that she’s heard about actors being cast only on the basis of their Instagram followers. Deshpande shares,

“I remember hearing someone say ‘Cast that person, PR ke liye achha hoga’. There are good casting agents, who don’t follow this trend and that’s where actors like us are discovered. [I hope] there comes a time when people realize the craft matters and that influencers, and their followers, likes or reels are not the craft.”

Recently, the actor’s latest film, Privacy, a dark social thriller, which was selected for the 27th edition of the Bucheon International Film Festival, and it will have a world premiere at the event.

While the 40-year-old got her big breakthrough with the OTT series Sacred Games, it was her show, Trial By Fire, that made people sit up and take notice.

Ask if not getting her due is a source of irritation and the actor agrees, “You definitely get irritated, but you have to learn to live with it. As an artiste, especially living in India, it’s not easy. There are a lot of people who work and don’t get any recognition or mention.”

However, “doing good projects” is what keeps the Sexy Durga (2017) actor going. “Whenever I wonder — why a lot of people don’t know me, don’t see my work, are not talking about my film or why am I not on magazine covers? — I always think back to [to the fact that] I am here [in this industry] because I’m absolutely in love with acting,” she signs off.