Reels not the shortcut to roles

Dharna Durga. Pics/Instagram, Youtube

Every time a social media influencer is cast in an acting project, questions arise whether they landed the gig for their acting capability or the million online followers they have amassed. "Maine proper exam diya hai," quipped popular content creator Dharna Durga, insisting that she didn't take any shortcut to landing Maa Behen.

A still from ‘Maa Behen'

In Netflix's crime comedy, directed by Suresh Triveni, Durga plays the younger, mischievous daughter of Madhuri Dixit Nene's Rekha. The actor recalled, "I gave one audition in Delhi. Then I did another round in Mumbai, where Suresh sir gave me directions on how to do the scene. I was never told, ‘We have seen your social media profile, and you are chosen.' I was given a scene and told, ‘We want to see if you can pull it off.' What I do on Instagram is also acting. So, it's not that I have been selected on the basis of my following."