‘Munjya’ Actor Taran Singh on Content Creators in Bollywood

In the comedy-horror genre, a lot is riding on scares and laughs in equal measure. The latest Bollywood movie that attempts an occult horror, Munjya, has a lot of the latter thanks to Taran Singh, who plays the role of the protagonist Bittu’s best friend, named Spielberg (and in some instances, referred to as Diljit).

The radio jockey-turned-content-creator-turned-actor bagged the role after connecting with the company Casting Bay’s Anmol Ahuja and Munjya director Aditya Sarpotdar over Instagram DMs. Of course, it wasn’t that simple – he still auditioned and flew down to Mumbai from New Delhi and got the role after four rounds. It was about two years in the making, according to Singh, whose first experience in the film industry was doing an internship in assistant directing projects. “The director found my comic timing, looks etc. to be a fit for the character they had been searching for a suitable match for,” Singh says.

With 338,000 Instagram followers and over 600,000 cumulative views on YouTube, Singh says his “passion and dream” has always been in content creation and understanding how production houses work. He adds, “I never thought that my content would actually help me get a role in Bollywood. I have always believed that the energy you put out in the world always comes back to you and life is a full circle. And this was that moment for me.”

Munjya released on Jun. 7 and has since earned a few positive reviews and plenty of box office traction for its cast (actors Sharvari Wagh, Mona Singh and Sathyaraj star alongside lead actor Abhay Verma and Singh, among others) and exploration of the comedy-horror genre. In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Singh talks about becoming part of the film, changing tides in how content creators are becoming part of the film industry and more. Excerpts:

Rolling Stone India: If you’re not a ‘known face,’ people may not be inclined to buy tickets and watch movies – do you think that’s changed now, especially since content creators are as much taking up people’s understanding of visual narratives?

Taran Singh: Considering this is my first movie, I am not sure how much of a contribution I will be able to make towards directly helping selling tickets. From my social media follower base on Instagram and YouTube, I hope even if 10 percent of my social media family come to watch it, I will be very grateful.

Leaving aside the business impact, I think, yes there is a change. Social media, OTT platforms etc. have given content creators a chance to tap into a wide set of audience groups and if and when these viewers engage with your content and start enjoying it, this helps provide an equal platform and an opportunity to upcoming, aspirational people as well.

That said, among the people who’ve seen you up close in the making of this movie, what have they said about the project and your acting so far?

The director and the entire team told me on day one of this shoot that they had envisioned a character just like me. Having said that, the people who have seen me work closely on sets, my co-actors on this project often told me that my comic timing is just on point so much so that there isn’t much difference between my reel and real-life personality. I guess, the entire team was happy with me throughout the journey, and we functioned like a big happy family. We all used to have a lot of fun. In fact, off camera, rather than sitting in our own vanity vans, Mona Ma’am, Sharvari and Abhay used to always say let’s all sit out together, eat together and enjoy the entire process. I feel really lucky and happy to have worked on this film with such amazing and talented actors and team.

You’re among content creators who have made it into movies now. It does beg the question – is becoming part of the film industry the goal (or at least one goal among others) for content creators when they start out and begin building a following?

Yes, sometimes I think there is a certain thought process that people now think of making content as a way to enter the movies. I do not think this is a wrong perspective. Having said that, I do not abide by this philosophy.  For me, content creation has always been my first priority and Bollywood happened by chance, more like a byproduct of my already existing profession. Additionally, with the help of multiple workshops to prepare for the movie, I learned that acting for social media and acting for Bollywood are two different things. Catching the correct light in the scene, where your hand and foot placements are, such small things matter, and it definitely isn’t a cakewalk. I believe in focusing on one thing and giving it 100 percent effort and honesty, then things eventually always fall in place and your hard work pays off.

How has being part of a movie project like this changed the way you think about your content?

I won’t say that a lot changed for me as such, but I definitely was motivated to do more work and put more than my 100 percent in whatever I do. My experience on this project has helped me compare the process of making films and reels. Like movies have a pre-production, production, post-production phase, social media content also requires pre-planning, writing the script, memorizing the content, editing and finally arriving at the finished product, I found the process to be quite similar. This experience has helped me become more professional and understand that God is in the details. 

The other major thing with movies is they give a creator a reach that isn’t too bogged down in all these ever-changing social media algorithms, right?

Yes, I completely agree. I think the reach that a movie provides and the different kinds of people it reaches out to is a different ball game together. Let me give you an instance – my building’s security guard didn’t know what I exactly did until he saw me in the trailer because his consumption of social media must be very different to what I post, or he might even not be there on Instagram or follow me. One fine day he walked up to me and said I saw you in the new movie trailer. I felt very emotional and a deep sense of happiness. I will always cherish and keep this memory close to my heart.

What else is coming up in 2024?

A lot of things just happen and have been happening very suddenly in life. I would just like to say that I have something big in the pipeline in July 2024, and will spill the beans soon.

Until next time, please catch Munjya at a theatre near you from Jun. 7. It is a film which has unexpected twists and lots of humor. I promise you a joy ride.