Brand collaborations push you to think fast and create faster: Actress Saloni Daini

Saloni Daini, now also a content creator, began her career as a child actress. Best remembered for her role as Gangubai in Comedy Circus, she says brand collaborations have not only changed how actors connect with audiences but also how they approach creativity. After a brief hiatus, she has returned to acting with a focus on both traditional screen projects and self-produced digital content.

Daini, who began her career with television shows such as Comedy Circus, C.I.D., The Suite Life of Karan & Kabir, and Bade Bhaiyya Ki Dulhania, transitioned to films including Dum Kaata (2007) and No Problem (2010). Her recent work includes Thank You for Coming (2023), where she played Rabeya Das, and Hamara Vinayak, a YouTube-based show by Swastik Stories, in which she plays Sanvi. She has also featured in the Girliyapa original series Medical Dreams (2025) and Sisters (2022), both streaming on YouTube.

Apart from the movie business, Daini began creating her own digital content during the pandemic. “During COVID, I started writing and making videos. It helped me learn how to write and build characters. As an actor, you have to wait for projects, but content creation became another platform for me,” she said.

Agreeing with Farah Khan's statement, she said content creation pays her more than her childhood TV shows. Her first brand association was with McDonald’s on Instagram, followed by collaborations with Nykaa, Nivea, and Joy. “My first brand was McDonald’s. I was such a big fan, and that collaboration felt like a great start,” she recalled. “I’ve worked with Nykaa and Nivea, and we’ve made several videos together. Brand collaborations push you to think fast and create faster.”

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One of her videos for Nykaa crossed 40 million views. “That video suddenly got boosted, and I pinned it on my profile. It motivates brands to work with creators, and creators to make better videos,” she said.

Daini also highlighted the growing relevance of regional language content. “A lot of people didn’t know I’m Marathi because I mostly worked in Hindi TV. Once I started making Sobo Girl and Melodramatic Aai, more people connected with me. Brands like Whiskas and Joy reached out because they wanted Marathi videos,” she said. “Regional content is becoming strong and helps reach audiences in specific markets.”

Talking about her projects and brand collaborations, she said, “When I took the decision to work again after COVID, for the first six or seven months, I was just giving auditions and waiting for the right thing. And suddenly, Thank You For Coming came in. I had given that audition a long time ago, and then suddenly they called me and were like, we’re doing a film with Bhumi and it’s about girls—you know, the challenges they go through. It was a very, very nice role for me and the character was called Rabeya. I thought, this is a great start. So I instantly hopped on to that project.”

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Daini added, “I also started content creation during COVID because there was nothing to do. Then you start writing and making videos. I think that helped me a lot to learn how to write, how to make your own characters. It gave me a push. As an actor, you have to wait, you have to have that patience. So this became another platform for me.”

According to her, creators are becoming a strong community that people don’t take lightly anymore. “They know their power, and the people working with them know it too. Followers and the community they build mean something to brands now,” she said.

When asked about her dream-come-true moments, she said, “There are two dream-come-true moments for me. One was when I met Amitabh Sir on KBC. It was Children's Day, and I had to go and ask him questions, the roles were reversed. I asked him five or six questions, and we rehearsed it properly. My mom and dad were on set, and I think for them it was an even bigger dream come true because they had seen him for so long. The other was when I anchored the Children's Film Festival with Ranbir Kapoor. That was another dream come true, and I’m hoping that I get to work with both of them again.”

Balancing Life and Creation

“So, I love to travel. I love water sports. Main bhi scuba diving ka ek course shuru karne wali hoon—an advanced course. I’ve done the first one, and now I have to go for 10 days and learn the proper details. It’s called an advanced course. Other than that, I’m a very outdoorsy person. I love doing treks. In Mumbai, there’s a club called Break Free. They take you to amazing waterfall treks and cliff jumping treks—the kind of things you have no idea about, but they’re just two hours away. I keep doing that with them. I also love to watch films, chill with my friends, and do all of that stuff.”

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On handling content fatigue, she explained, “I think balance is very important. Because creators or actors—even when they go on a trip—their mind is running like, this is a great location, I can make good content here, I’ll get views. But that’s not necessary. You don’t have to do it on every trip. Some trips should just be for yourself. Some days, make sure you’re not making content at all or not using your phone or Instagram. Otherwise, burnout will hit and you’ll have to pause—and then you won’t be able to create quality content. For me, finding balance is very important.”

When asked who her last chat was with, she said, “I think it was a celeb—Avneet. We were trying to plan a trip in December. Let’s see if that happens.”

And who are her competitors? “No one. My competition is me,” she smiled. “Because if you start comparing your videos with someone else, you start making them like that. You can have your favorite creators, like I love watching videos, you watch for entertainment—but if you start comparing, then your content begins to look like theirs. I think just make what feels true to you, something that has meaning and that you believe in. That’s it.”

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Talking about strategic branding, she said, “I also work with so many brands, and once you do a good campaign, it gives both sides the confidence to collaborate again.” When asked about rejecting brand offers, she said, “I don’t think I have said no to any brands till now. I love all of them.. be it food, skincare, or makeup brand.”

On her future goals, she added, “I would love to work with car brands like BMW. I want to reach that position where I can collaborate with big, strong brands.”