Nepotism Permeates All Sectors Bollywood Is An Easy Punching Bag: Reyhan Sharma

We are a feudal society and unfortunately, nepotism and privilege permeate all echelons. The film industry also exemplifies all of the flaws and constraints of the society it inhabits

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A teenager whose latest series ASHWATHAMA gathered 100000 streams with more than 6 lakhs reach in 3 months, made a unique way of presenting his love for acting by bringing a web series as insta series which shows you don’t need biggie like NETFLIX Or PRIME to release a web series, that’s Reyhan Sharma for you

Recently we were going through igtv’s and suddenly a video came up of a series called Ashwathama, which was directed and acted by the same guy, while I saw the series every episode gave a fresh feel and kept me as an audience engaged, which many people failed to do. So I decided to get in touch with the maker and sent a message to the creator. I was amazed to know the age and the vision he had for cinema, Bollywood, and acting. The Actor Looks Promising.

You got a promising start as a creator. Does that put pressure on you to keep up the good work?
Yes, there is always pressure to do something different with the role one is given. With my work in Ashwathama being well-received, I am more aware than ever that I have to keep the game up. I don’t want to disappoint myself as an actor first and let my audience down. Also, as an artist, I feel that I perform best under pressure. So yes, there is pressure but that’s what keeps me going.

What made you choose a script like Ashwathama?
It would be egoistic of me to say I chose. Platforms like social media are nothing but the audience and as an actor, it's not justified for me to choose, I am hungry to work to keep hustling although this was written by me, initially, I had this very thought of how the audience would react to the script and then I released the first episode to check the reaction and I was very scared, ultimately I had 300 followers which are so so less and what else can we expect from an audience of 300, but then this page Bollywood ranker walks in and my first video reaches to 6k and the reaction was tremendous, so I continued with the script and it turned out pretty well for me Also, this was a villain who was treated like a cool Mumbai touch guy. After finishing the shoot, I was apprehensive of how the girls would react — they are 50 percent of your audience. But they came out saying they love the guy but hate the character. So yeah ultimately I enjoyed working on the project.

Well! You had announced another series “TOXIC”, your character in “TOXIC” also has grey shades. Don’t you fear getting typecast and getting negative effects as a creator?
Well, I don’t agree. At the moment, I feel it’s a good time for the actors playing villains,I am doing the kind of roles that our audience is now opening up to. Things are not black and white anymore. The imperfections make characters interesting. I like to play roles that have a shade of reality in them. In real life no one’s all good and no one’s all bad either.
My character in Toxic is entirely different from that of Ashwathama. I Have played 2 characters in Ashwathama, of which one is the killer who is a villain and a hero, depends on how you see and one is a patriotic, honest officer, so I feel its all on the perspective When people see the series, they’ll see the difference. I want to do all kinds of roles — comedy, romantic, gangster, etc.

What is your vision on the ongoing fight about nepotism and do you feel it as a threat?
Nepotism permeates all sectors. Bollywood is an easy punching bag to target, ultimately it is the audience which is responsible whether nepotism persists or not and coming to threat, obviously when something like this has been there it is a threat but I am a person who looks at the fact that there are many actors/independent creators who have come up and made a name even in that competition, so I feel you need to keep your spirit and energy in the right way and make yourself exceptionally talented. I want to stand differently with my vision because in my life whatever I have done till now, has been different from what others do.

Reyhan, looking at the stats your frequency of posting the videos is quite long for a series, although you got a reach, don’t you feel if that would have been less, the stats would be more today?
I totally agree with you on this one that I take a lot of time in putting out one episode, but its because I want the editing, the music the video to be engaging, I don’t want people to watch it for a minute and then exit, so for that, I have to understand where my previous videos have been lacking and what all things have to optimize and visually be better, because I feel if you take time and the result is good, then that’s a good thing, also stats have never been my concern, I just put it out because people like me, they feel inspired and that’s really important to me

What about your following, you have 2.5k followers but your videos have a reach more than 20k, does that affect you mentally about why you have fewer followers than the people it reaches?
Sir, coming to following I have grown from 300 followers to 2500 followers in a span of a months or two, but if you really ask me I consider just one person that’s me, following I important no doubt, but for what so that those people see it and share it further, they are those people who get inspired me, want to be a part of my daily life, but what’s really important is the reach which I am getting and I don’t think any creator would be sad to see that, so yes I hope to get a massive following but I am very happy with the reach and whatever followers I have because at the end I have an organic following.

Well in your episodes till now, your lead has not been introduced yet, Is it because you wanted to make yourself visible more or was it the demand of the script?
(Smiles) I never ever have a problem if a person is being showcased more than me, and yes it was the demand of the script to keep few things disclosed till the climax, I had given a glimpse of the actress (Aastha Jain) in the initial episode, it was clear that there’s a back story, so I can't reveal her in the between the climax is near and she has a big part to play, and she has done that effortlessly so I am sure she will overshadow me.

If someone puts a Negative/Harsh comment down your video, how do you deal with it?
Well, firstly I feel happy because I got a view. Secondly, if someone is coming and commenting on the video it means he/she expects something better than me. If someone is expecting someone from you that means you are better, you are in the right direction, so I look at that negative thing as a compliment.

Your Instagram Feed has been diversified, do you fear of sticking to one thing or you are a multitasker?
(LAUGHS) Thank you for that compliment. I believe sticking to just one thing which you know you are good at makes your mind stuck and you dint get the exposure, the ideas to think more. Fitness is one thing which I am very concerned about, I can't stay a day without exercising, but in the pandemic, I had nothing to create except for my fitness, so I started with fitness videos with no equipment which is available to everyone, and then I started with the series and I transformed my body to look bulked up, then again I came up with a full VFX entertainment dance video and currently I am working on toxic as well as monologues, collaborations, a song to be shot and a lot of stuff. So it's just that as much you work, that much you get the exposure.

Lastly, what is your vision as an artist for Indian cinema, what kind of movies do you expect should be run?
Well, I think this topic is best to be asked to the audience, that what do they want to see, we as an artist, as a creator are ready to give content that differs, but according to the majority of the audience they want a movie which is entertaining, but if you make a movie which is based on real-life, hard on content, what ratio of such films being successful. Just like every other artist I would also love to be a part of a movie which the audience loves, but in the recent time's people are accepting such scripts, writers are trying to write something people can see around the, relate to them and that’s where Indian cinema has started to evolve, that is the change people are giving, but it's hard to say that masala movies are not evolving because there are still films doing 200-300 crore business, I just love to act

That’s Reyhan Sharma for you, he is young ambitious and has a bright future ahead. You guys can follow him on Instagram, youtube, and all other platforms.

I wish you a great future ahead !!

Interview by:-Arihant Shrivastav