Actress Aanchal Khurana, a television veteran with over 15 years of experience across shows including MTV Roadies 8, Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke, and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2, has issued a stark warning about the Indian television industry — arguing that casting decisions driven by social media followings over acting ability could eventually kill the medium. Khurana made the remarks while serving her notice period for the show Tu Juliet Jatt Di.

The Casting Problem She Describes

Khurana argues that the industry has created a damaging middle-ground trap for semi-established actors. 'Casting nowadays is low-budget only for semi-known actors. Freshers come at a lower budget anyway, and the known ones demand a very high budget,' she said. 'For those who worked hard and reached the semi-known level over a long time, their condition has deteriorated in the middle.'

She drew a sharp social analogy: 'It's the same thing that happens in normal society, where the poor get poorer, the high class gets richer, and the middle class is the one getting crushed.' Producers, she alleged, are increasingly binding fresh faces to package deals while veteran performers are sidelined.

Followers Over Talent, She Argues

Khurana was particularly critical of the trend of casting social media influencers in lead roles. 'Even if they get a non-performer YouTuber or an Instagrammer with a lot of followers who doesn't know how to act, they will give them the budget. But they won't give a budget to a good actor,' she said.

She contended that the first two to three months of a daily soap — a critical window for audience retention — are being squandered on performers still learning the craft. 'The audience is able to connect well with a good actor and a good performance,' she noted, arguing that production houses are prioritising looks and digital reach over screen ability.

What She Is Being Offered After 15 Years

Khurana disclosed that she has been offered as little as ₹5,000, ₹6,000, or ₹7,000 per day — a figure she described as 'disheartening, embarrassing, and insulting' given her track record, which includes best actor awards. Notably, she said the same daily rate is being offered to freshers, effectively erasing the premium on experience.

She added that she has already offered to work at 50–70% less than her rates during Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke, yet producers reportedly will not even forward her auditions to the channel.

Her Warning for the Industry

Khurana's broader concern is structural. 'The shows are already not doing well. How much can one senior actor save a show? And they are not even making wholesome shows,' she said, pointing to repetitive storylines as a symptom of the same short-term thinking. She argued that producers focused on a 7–8 month profit window with no long-term investment in quality are accelerating television's decline.

'OTT will move ahead, films will move ahead, and TV will shut down one day,' she warned. Her proposed solution is modest but telling: she asked that auditions from experienced actors at least be sent to the channel, giving decision-makers the choice rather than filtering them out at the production level.