e4m Video Story:  Brand associations add value but bring responsibility too:Creator-actor Ankita Sehgal   

Actor and content creator Ankita Sehgal’s journey reflects a new reality in India’s creator economy: authenticity is becoming a powerful currency, opening doors not just to brand partnerships but to mainstream entertainment. 

From her early days writing sketches at iDiva to acting in Jamnapaar series and sharing screen space with Aamir Khan in Sitare Zameen Par, her rise showed how creators who built trust could now move fluidly between digital platforms and OTT sets.

She began her career behind the scenes at Red FM before joining iDiva as a freelance writer. The shift to performing came only after persistent encouragement from her husband. She said he kept repeating that she was “funnier on camera” and should stop hiding behind the script. In 2020, she finally agreed and started creating content. What began as a small experiment grew quickly as her videos started pulling in traction and brand interest followed.

Her first brush with influencer life came at just 2000 followers when Pilgrim approached her for a barter. She had purchased the same serum a few days earlier for ₹500. The campaign paid nothing, but posting that reel gave her the psychological push, it fuelled her consistency and confidence, she needed. “I realised I had an audience and that was enough to keep going,” she said. 

Her first paid collaboration arrived during the pandemic. A hygiene brand had launched protective masks and approached her for a simple photo upload. She had around 10K followers and was paid ₹3,500. She said the amount felt huge at the time because she neither had a manager nor any strategy. “I remember checking my bank account twice just to see if the payment was real,” she said. The experience made her understand that digital influence could be both emotionally and financially rewarding.

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Today, her brand portfolio includes Swiggy, Smart Bazaar, Tresemme and FirstCry, vivo etc. She said the line-up was a result of clear choices and a dependable backend team. Her transition from digital content to scripted storytelling came with ‘Jamnapaar’ where she worked with brands in integrated storylines.

She remembered one scene from the Jamnapaar set, very clearly because of a single line she simply could not get right. “I had a scene with Dot and Key where I was with Anubha ma’am who plays my mother. I kept getting stuck on the words hyaluronic acid,” she said. She laughed while recalling how the crew waited as she tried again and again. “I kept telling them please do not make me say hyaluronic acid. I would memorise it, walk to the mark and forget it all over again.”

"If the brand is associated with you. It adds value but it adds responsibility also,” she said.  

She called bigger brands her “bread and butter”, acknowledging that her team does a large part of the heavy lifting. “It’s a combined effort of me and my team to fetch brands. It’s always 50-50. And when it comes to OTT platforms, 70-80% of the credit goes to the backend team. They write such good scripts that brands want to work with them.”

To her credibility mattered more than volume. She avoided products she did not personally use. She recalled rejecting a gummy supplement brand after consulting her psychologist. “Brands feed my family but ethics feed my peace. I cannot fake conviction,” she said.

“There were these gummies...you eat it, you relax, you sleep. I had to ask my psychologist or my psychiatrist whether it’s ethical enough. If I find a brand unethical, I try to avoid it.” For her, the intent matters more than the payout.  

One of the most memorable moments of her acting journey came with a one-day shoot on Aamir Khan’s film set when she was two months pregnant. She said the moment felt surreal because she had grown up watching him and never imagined sharing a frame. 

At one point, she was trying to hide her nervousness between takes and Khan gently told her, “The camera will wait. You do not need to rush.” She said the remark stayed with her because it showed how humility should only grow with influence. “He made my smallest role feel important. That kind of grace is rare,” she said.

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But the journey was not without its cracks. She admitted that 2023 overwhelmed her. There were back-to-back shoots, heavy creator travel and constant deadlines. The burnout hit harder than she expected. Pregnancy forced her to slow down and rebuild a healthier routine. Today, she plans her work around her child and embraces a calmer pace. “Everything changed but the changes were beautiful,” she said.

Asked whether newcomers could still break in, she dismissed the idea that anyone was late to the game. “Every flower bloomed at its own speed,” she said. Her advice to new creators remained grounded. Starting was the hardest part and momentum built only after the first step. 

She started late. She started small. She still made it big.