Social media has taken over people’s lives and become an integral part of it. But that doesn’t apply to Pankaj Kapur. The actor, who was recently seen in Bheed, has an unverified account on Instagram and isn’t very active online, either. He is not a fan of having his personal life on display for public consumption.

“It’s fear, nothing else,” shares the 69-year-old actor, explaining, “It is over exposure. I have a fear of my life being in [front of] everyone’s eyes. I am a private person, simple, middle class. Acting and writing is my passion and job. I don’t want people to peep into my house.”

Although, in today’s technology driven age, there can be a flip side to not being present on social media. Kapur states, “I lost out on ad films because they expect you to upload it on your Instagram. I say, ‘I have nothing’. I don’t want to look at my mobile to see how many people are following me. I’m striving to improve upon my ability as a performer. I would rather spend more time doing that. At the same time, I respect other people who use social media. World over, people are being cast on the basis of how popular they are on Instagram and have a certain level of following. Surely, this is the new way of going about it.” The Jersey (2022) actor recently performed Dopehri, a play written by him at a theatre festival.

His kids, actors Shahid Kapoor and Sanah Kapur, are quite active and share glimpses of their lives on the medium and the Lost (2022) actor “understands that electronic media is required for younger actors”. “I am not saying there is anything wrong in people doing it (posting on social media). My own children are [posting], the world is! They understand it better. I don’t,” says Kapur.

However, the actor is not entirely against the idea of having a social media presence. “I am not saying I will never [join social media]. If tomorrow I feel it is the need of the hour, I might. I don’t feel the need right now. I am happy without it,” he ends.