CHANNEL OF THEIR OWN
They are young, quirky and a rage on the internet. Meet the new generation of entertainers, born on YouTube
Meet a new generation of entertainers, born on YouTube
Earlier this year, a software engineer from Infosys in Pune, dressed in a white crop top and denim shorts, danced to Ed Sheeran’s chartbuster Shape of You. So fluid and stylish were her hip-hop moves in the YouTube video—over 8 million views till date—that she won a ticket to a Sheeran concert in London. Meet Sonali Bhadauria, a member of the IT company’s dance team, Crazy Legs, who is on a sabbatical to focus on her YouTube channel ‘LivetoDance with Sonali’. Started as a wedding venture, the channel is now home to Bhadauria’s Bolly-hop—a mix of Bollywood and hip hop—choreography and tutorial videos. The 27-year-old gets assignments—workshops, classes, sangeet choreography—on the basis of the videos. Not bad for someone who learned to dance by watching television and YouTube. Bhadauria’s break from Infosys ends in October. “I have no plans of joining back whatsoever!” she says. One software giant’s loss is another’s gain.
Bhadauria is just one of India’s many millennials whose fortunes have turned around, thanks to YouTube. In October, Secret Superstar (starring and produced by Aamir Khan) shows how Insia (Zaira Wasim), an aspiring teenage musician from Baroda, dons a burqa and uploads her performance on YouTube. The video platform is her way to get her voice heard, talent noticed and rebel against her orthodox father. Like Insia, many twentysomethings pursue their passion by creating content from the comfort of their homes and give nine-to-five
jobs a miss. There is independence in being your own boss, but the lack of a supervising authority doesn’t mean there’s no responsibility. YouTubers seek clicks and views. But these don’t come easily. Consistency is the key to a channel’s growth—weekly quality uploads are necessary to hold on to subscribers—and patience a muchneeded attribute to break even and eventually see returns. But some, like Yaman Agarwal, are just happy to do what they take pleasure in.
Only 19, the teenager from Hyderabad runs ‘CookingShooking’, a channel on which he demonstrates vegetarian recipes, including a tricoloured cake made in a pressure cooker without eggs. The rising popularity of his channel means Agarwal is no longer daunted by comments such as ‘Tu Maharaj (cook) banega?’ Even as he pursues a bachelor’s degree in commerce by distance education, Agarwal is expanding his internet following with an additional Hindi channel. “It’s YouTube as in Your-Tube. Moneyminded people won’t last long on this platform,” he predicts.
Agarwal may see YouTube more as a channel of expression than for monetary gain, but for many, cashing in by sharing a part of their lives is a lucrative career. Nikhil Sharma, 29, runs ‘Mumbiker Nikhil’, which as the moniker suggests started out as a channel for biking enthusiasts. Today, Nikhil puts up footage from his travels and has tied up with brands such as Asus, 7th Sin Denims, Mivi bluetooth headphones, to name a few. The perks of being a YouTuber are many. “I can travel wherever I want to for free just by uploading videos,” he says. Sharma’s formula is simple: “When-
“You have to toughen up to face negativity and deal with hate. Don’t give up on YouTube because of it.”
ever something interesting happens, I want the world to know.” But projecting yourself on a global medium requires confidence. “Being loved as a vlogger is tough because you don’t know how the audience will react looking at your life,” he says.
The videos are a means to building an identity and brand, and being watched worldwide. Some content creators believe they are making a difference by sharing their stories and experiences. Sharma, for example, was invited for a TED talk—TEDxDBATU Exploration for Alternatives—held in Raigad, Maharashtra, in October last year. While he and Agarwal are independent creators, 23-year-old Priya Mall from Noida prefers to be part of a multichannel network (MCN). On ‘Pretty Priya TV’, she can just focus on providing easy home remedies to skin problems and not worry about the logistics of running a channel. The production is taken care of by Shruti Anand and husband Arjun Sahu, who run six more YouTube channels.
But Ranveer Allahbadia, the 22-year-old founder of fitness and lifestyle channel ‘BeerBiceps’, wants to take the YouTube business a step further. His soon-to-launch influencer marketing start-up Trelion aims to not only liaise between brands and YouTubers, but also act as a talent management agency for renowned vloggers. Allahbadia, who gained popularity as the trainer behind
“Do not think about what your immediate peers’ reaction to it would be. Just trust your gut and start.”
comedian Tanmay Bhat’s weight loss, thrives on the freedom the medium offers and isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers using it. His video ‘Aamir Khan’s Dirty Secret’ claimed the actor used steroids to build a wrestler’s physique for Dangal, and promptly went viral. Allahbadia, though, hasn’t been able to explain to his parents, both IVF specialists, what he does for a career. “They know something is happening as I work seven days a week,” says Allahbadia, who has a team of five working with him. “My earnings are on par if not more than my friends from engineering and MBA backgrounds.”
Some make running a YouTube channel a family affair. Over the past two years, many of Sejal Kumar’s 200 videos have been shot by her parents and brother. An economics graduate from Delhi’s Shri Ram College of Commerce, the 22-year-old gives fashion and lifestyle tips on her eponymous channel. Kumar didn’t start a channel on a whim—she learned video-editing in school and, while in college, spent months figuring out the logistics of starting a channel. “I always explained the concept of my channel to others as a start-up and not just a hobby,” she says. She convinced her mother to part with Rs 25,000 to purchase a camera. It
“It has changed my life completely, given me recognition, work and loads of students.”
paid off as Kumar is one of the most popular fashion vloggers and has featured in campaigns for Parachute and PC Jewellers. She earns through YouTube ad revenue and brand collaborations for video content and campaigns. Once in a while, she shares personal stories, such as how she met her boyfriend in the video ‘Jab Mohak Met Sejal’, requested by many of her 300,000 subscribers.
The earning potential explains why YouTube content creators are not just coming from the metros but even smaller cities, says Satya Raghavan, entertainment head, YouTube India. “In 2016, we saw over 500 creators across India get over 100,000 subscribers,” he says. “We now have more than 10 Indian independent creators who have touched over 1 million subscribers.” The most popular topics are comedy, food, technology and beauty. Music is also an emerging category.
“I feel YouTube has a much larger reach than say a restaurant or a cooking class or a book.”
But for every ‘SANAM’ (2.5 million subscribers) and ‘Vidya Vox’ (3.3 million subscribers), who wow with their vocal talent, there is a ‘Dhinchak Pooja’ who becomes a meme generator for ‘Selfie Maine Leli Aaj’. Quality can be an issue, but Raghavan is confident India will catch up with the West and sooner or later have YouTube creators who are superstars, such as Lilly Singh aka Superwoman.
Anisha Dixit aka Rickshawali may come across to some as India’s answer to Singh. Calling Rickshawali a “bolder and crazier version” of herself, Dixit has designed a cap to don the identity. An actor from The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in Los Angeles, Dixit did a Punjabi film before deciding she didn’t “want to depend on producers and directors for shaping my career”. She began by shooting videos inside a rickshaw. Over the years, Dixit’s popularity has soared, with people identifying her by calling out her trademark phrase “Haaye Daiyya” and sponsored international trips falling in her lap. She was also invited as a social media influencer at the media launch for Baahubali.
Using the platform to highlight social issues is an objective for many. Agarwal on ‘CookingShooking’ asked subscribers to help with the Nepal earthquake relief. Dixit’s ‘Periods—The Musical’ was in response to how she was labelled “dirty” by her grandmother when she was menstruating. “I want to make videos that girls would love to watch, and inspire them,” she says.
Running a YouTube channel may seem like a breeze, but it takes a lot to click. In an attention-deficit world, where tweets with words like covfefe and funny cat videos are trending topics, not every video will go viral. “This is not a profession for anybody who just wants to sit behind hoping to get millions of views,” says Dixit. “You have to do this day in and day out.”