Alaya F is celebrating five years in the Hindi film industry. The actor, who made her debut in Jawaani Jaaneman (2020), reflects on the lessons she’s learned along the way. “I think my biggest learning in the last five years, and what really caught me off guard was how little of an actor’s job is acting. That moment between action and cut doesn’t even take up 10% of our time,” says the 27-year-old.

She adds, “You are either waiting for the shot or you’re on a grand set, in meetings or focusing on your PR, social media game or simply focusing on your life — there’s so much more to being a successful, thriving actor.”

Since Alaya brings up PR, the demands of promoting oneself heavily as an actor require significant effort. There’s also the challenge of seeing a contemporary steal the limelight through such promotion. 

When asked if talking about oneself so frequently comes easily to her, Alaya laughs: “Talking about myself comes naturally to me. I’m very much like my mother (actor, talk show host Pooja Bedi), talking is in my genes. But it’s one thing to be a strong product, and another to sell your product.”

Alaya, who has been part of projects such as Freddy (2022) and Srikanth (2024), continues, “The way you market a product, the way you present and sell it... all of those things are also a lesson I have learnt.”