Indian actor and creator Prajakta Koli told Web Summit audiences Monday that authenticity, not activism, defines meaningful influence, as she reflected on storytelling, acting, and making complex global issues accessible.
From viral sketches to international stages, Prajakta Koli has built her career by staying grounded, and at Web Summit, she made it clear that she is still very much learning, experimenting and showing up.
Speaking candidly about her journey as an actor, writer and digital creator, Koli said she does not yet feel she is in a position to “choose” projects, despite her growing profile.
“Honestly, as an actor, I don’t think I’m in that position to choose yet. I’ve just about started,” she said, adding that she continues to audition widely while remaining mindful of the stories she becomes part of.
For Koli, alignment comes less from screen time and more from purpose. “I like being a catalyst of some sort in the story,” she said. “It’s okay if it’s not the lead role. Content today is so evolved — people care about every character, no matter how big or small.”
She drew a clear line, however, on values. “Anything that’s offensive to women or anyone at all, I will never work on,” she said.
Addressing how she decides where stories belong — on screen, online or on the page — Koli challenged assumptions about digital-first generations. While she believes every story should live online in some form, she admitted she was surprised by the response to her debut book.
“People kept asking me, ‘Who’s reading in this generation?’” she said. “But I met 23- and 24-year-olds who told me it was the first book they ever read.”
The experience shifted her perspective. “Now, after 11 years of advocating everything to be online, I actually want to divide it 50-50 between digital and print,” she said, noting that storytelling now thrives when platforms coexist rather than compete.
Koli also reflected on the stark contrast between creating online content and acting on set. Digital creation, she explained, is a solo effort — writing, directing, editing and publishing — while acting allows her to focus on one role within a larger team.
“On some days, I like not doing everything,” she said. “You just need to know your lines and trust the collaborators around you.”
That discipline, she believes, prepared her for acting. “Content creation taught me consistency and the mental discipline to show up, no matter how exhausted you are,” she said.
As a UNDP Youth Climate Champion, Koli addressed the challenge of communicating serious issues to younger audiences. Rather than avoiding simplification, she embraces it.
“I actually want to oversimplify them,” she said. “The conversations are too complex. I don’t even understand half the charts and statistics.”
Instead, she advocates for clear calls to action. “Information without ‘okay, and?’ is useless,” she said, stressing that young people want to feel included, not overwhelmed.
On whether creators should be activists, Koli was unequivocal. “Advocacy should be a personal choice,” she said. “But authenticity is not optional.”
Audiences, she added, are “a hundred times smarter than we think” and can immediately sense performative content.
Ultimately, Koli said her goal extends beyond views and virality. “I want people to feel seen,” she said. “To watch something and say, ‘I missed this.’ That’s the impact I care about.”
Much like a match that becomes more than just a game, Koli’s message resonated as a reminder that influence, when rooted in honesty, can quietly but powerfully shape culture.
