MUMBAI: 'Rang De Basanti' fame Siddharth Suryanarayan is confident that his web series 'Escaype Live' is surely relatable.
The actor, who plays the central character in the Siddharth Kumar Tewary series, says that the storyline reflects exactly what goes on in society today.
"I believe 'Escaype Live' is a mirror to society. Siddharth Kumar Tewary believes that we are in India 2.0. And the show is a good depiction of the cross-section of Indian society in 2022. The show, not just shows people from very different varied social-cultural backgrounds and from all over our diverse country, it also shows how all these people respond to technology, the benefits and the dangers of social media. So, I believe that, yes, it's definitely a mirror to the society that we live in today, " he says.
It might seem that social media has made it very easy to get fame and even earn money. but content creators also struggle, says Siddharth. "I think it's unfair to say that any kind of money-making is easy. It's not easy to make money. If anybody believes that it's easy to make money then they must know that this money will definitely come with its own consequences."
"Social media is a new avenue. When we were in school and during our growing up years, when we were looking at employment opportunities, we had other things in mind. We wanted to work so that we could buy a house and we wanted job security. We wanted a job so that our family would be secure."
"But now the criteria for selecting work has changed and I believe social media gives people an opportunity to start monetising their talent very early. And like in any industry, there will be those who start really fast and then slow down later, and there'll be those who start slowly and succeed in the long run, the same is true here as well, " he adds.
He continues that social media has lots of opportunities.
"Also, I believe any content is content. So, I think you shouldn't look down on any content, Some people will say that this is pop, which is popular culture. And so, it's less than, let's say, something that's more intelligent or arty. But it takes a lot for creators to create content and I respect all creators of content.
"I am glad that social media gives them the opportunity to be seen. And that the struggle now is still very much there but it's a different kind of struggle. It's about maintaining your startup as opposed to getting it to the first place, " he says.
However, the actor adds that one must draw our own limits. "I think what you post is an individual choice. Social media is the kind of space that I believe is too vast. It's like an ocean. So, it's difficult to say that if you are in it you must swim like this."
"I think each individual must learn how to swim on their own, and if there are sharks around you, you should try to go back to the shore. Social media can be scary as well. The thing is that social media is like any addiction or any exposure to an addictive situation.
"It's very difficult to leave it when you're at the top. And for me, I've been lucky because we've been able to exercise control not just on social media but in life as well. I only do what I want to, " he concludes.