The actor on the new reality series in which eight social media stars stayed together for 21 days without their phones and verified media handles.
With four million followers on his Instagram handle, actor Parth Samthaan enjoys immense popularity with his fans. However, on Netflix’s influencer survival series Social Currency, the Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan actor and his seven other co-contestants were informed that they cannot use their verified media accounts and will in fact, have to start from scratch to rebuild their online presence. The 32-year-old actor recalls his experience on the show and also shares details about his upcoming Bollywood debut.
Reportedly, you have been approached for Bigg Boss in the past but said no to it. Doesn’t Social Currency have a similar format?
No, it doesn’t. It was about creating content. Also, right from day one, it was specified that there won’t be any arguments or drama which I don’t see myself being a part of. I was approached around the time of the second wave of the pandemic and the show was going to be shot in Goa, so I wanted to enjoy myself. Also, it was not as if we were constricted inside the house. We explored a lot of Goa. It was a different concept altogether; not something you have seen on screen before.
Did you go with any game plan in mind?
Not at all. They kept us in surprise mode. They didn’t give us any hint of what the show is going to be about. I had not done any homework or had any references for the show. All I knew was that one had to create content and there would be tasks. We just went with the flow. Every day was a surprise for us. Staying away from my social media handles was difficult but I have done digital detoxes earlier, so it was not entirely new for me. I just wanted to meet new people, make friends and enjoy myself, which I did.
You mention in the show that it reminded you of your struggling days. Why did you feel that way?
All of us had to earn everything from scratch. We started from zero followers and restarted our journeys. Apart from that, every day you earn money on the basis of how well you have performed that day. If one didn’t have enough money, then you had to give up on some of the material comforts, including food. All that took me back to my struggling days. You look at how much money you have, so you first see the prices on the menu in a restaurant. As an actor, I have my team that looks after my make-up and hair, shoots, styling, etc., but I had to do everything on my own here. That’s why I felt it was like starting from scratch again.
We hear you are gearing up for your debut Bollywood release. Tell us about that and your other upcoming projects.
My film Ghudchadi is expected to release in September. It is directed by Binoy Gandhi. It is a comedy family drama which sees Sanjay Dutt playing my father. Raveena Tandon, Khushali Kumar and Aruna Irani are my other co-actors. It is my first film and I have given it my all. Initially, my director was apprehensive if a TV actor would be able to pull off the role but later, he told me that he thinks I am a star. It was pretty overwhelming for me. My second film is Hum Do Hamare Baraah with Annu Kapoor sir. It is a message-oriented film about overpopulation.
Now that you have been a part of OTT and you are also doing films, is there going to be no looking back at television?
With television, the commitments become longer and it becomes difficult to take up any other work. For now, if I get work related to hosting or anchoring, then I might take it up because those are for a limited time. At the moment I am happy in my space and looking forward to my films’ release. I also want to be a part of different web series which have real and authentic stories to tell. I would rather focus on the digital space and films for now.
