The presence of social media content creators has been strong on Masaba Masaba since the first season. That Kusha Kapila and Kareema Barry were cast in two new and important characters — instead of professional actors — in the second season of the show written and directed by Sonam Nair says volumes about the tremendous fan base and growing power of star influencers.
Kareema and Kusha inhabit their characters like second skin in Masaba Masaba, and what works for them is precisely what they are famous for — uninhibited, at ease with themselves and fearless before the camera.
Cheers to Kareema aka Qayanaat
Kolkata girl Kareema Barry attended Welland Gouldsmith School and The Heritage School before graduating from Hindu College in Delhi. The 24-year-old had been present on social media for years but her rise to fame happened during the pandemic lockdowns. After using her kind of humour to keep friends and family entertained, Kareema began to apply it in her social media content too, fetching fans and followers by the droves.
Kareema’s comic side is in full force in Season 2 of Masaba Masaba, where she is Qayanaat, the Gen-Z social media fashion influencer who gives Masaba a run for her money. And why would Kareema not be cast as an Instagram fashionista on the show when she is an Instagram fashionista in real life as well?
As Masaba’s rival, Kareema brings to life a character that we cannot help but roll our eyes at. She plays this annoying, self-absorbed influencer to perfection, complete with the perfect pout and poker face pose. Kareema holds her own as Qayanaat, in her own way, and makes it pretty satisfactory for us when Masaba takes a jab at her by saying, “Qachra with a Q”.
Hurrahs for Kusha aka Nicole
The North Delhiite graduated from Indraprastha College for Women before getting a Bachelor of Design degree from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). After switching several jobs, she started creating content on social media with a brand of humour that is relatable and easy to get.
Kusha has been creating YouTube content for years, slowly and steadily, amassing a following which has crossed the 2.5 million mark on Instagram. Her successful social media content creator status helped her build a career on OTT platforms. She starred in the 2020 Netflix film Ghost Stories and recently co-hosted the third season of Comicstaan with comedian Abish Mathew.
Given how fashionable and funny Kusha is, watching her on Masaba Masaba Season 2 is sheer delight. Kusha’s Nicole is Masaba’s PR person-cum-troubleshooter on the show. Waddling around with her baby bump, Nicole is the feisty go-getter who will leave no stone unturned to promote and push her famous client, even in situations that need privacy and solitude. Nicole symbolises the adrenaline-charged public relations machinery that is an integral part of celebrity life, and Kusha’s energy and vivaciousness makes it very real.
