YouTube starshine
YouTube stars aren’t just enjoying popularity and dedicated fan following, but also bagging advertisements and endorsement deals
There have been Bollywood stars, and there have been TV stars, but now it’s time for the YouTube stars. There’s no doubt now that the consumption of content on YouTube has become so massive that it’s inevitable that if your video goes viral, you are bound to get some attention. And if your videos go viral repeatedly, then follows dedicated fans, adver- tisements and endorsement deals, and of course, recognition.
While All India Bakchod ( AIB) and The Viral Fever ( TVF) have now become household names, Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan’s quirky movie reviews of really bad movies have brought them fame. Thanks to the popularity of their videos, they have now branched out beyond the online platform and recently had a sold out gig in Gurgaon.
You don’t really have to be amazingly goodlooking or super funny or uber talented to be a superstar on YouTube
VISHAL CHOPRA
Then there’s Shradha Sharma who shot to fame through her recorded music videos uploaded on YouTube that led her to sign an album deal with Universal. These are the YouTube celebrities who have made it big on their own.
Arunabh, founding member of TVF, feels that this is one platform where you don’t need to be a kid of someone famous, or have a lot of influential contacts, to make it big. “If you have talent, there’s nothing that can stop you from becoming a celebrity. There are so many names that have become celebrities in their own capacity because of their talent. I know others who are trying to make it big, but they don’t have the talent. It’s a very democratic and objective medium that relies on talent and content rather than other factors. I mean I bet you can’t name one sh** ty video that went viral on social media. This medium offers level playing field to big production houses and individual content creators. Rest is upto you if you have it in you to create a blockbuster,” he says.
Rohan Joshi of AIB adds, “We have been on YouTube for little under a year, and in that year alone over 5.5 lakh people have signed up for the channel. Considering that before YouTube, we used to do only live comedy shows for 300 people, it’s a huge accomplishment for us. And because things happen at such low budgets for online content you can risk more, and try more experimental stuff. You’re not bound by anyone else’s creative oversight or bottom lines or censorship.”
Vishal Chopra became a famous name as Doctor VC when he decided to take on the famous reality TV show Roadies with his harsh reviews after he had a heated argument with Raghu during his audition. His videos became such a hit that he was signed by MTV as the official video blogger for the show. He shares, “A recent survey by a popular US magazine found out that YouTube celebs were more famous than those from Hollywood. You don’t really have to be amazingly goodlooking or super funny or uber talented to be a superstar on YouTube. In fact, a large number of YouTube celebrities are celebrities because they’re super relatable. They accept their imperfections and talk to their audience like friends which is why they hit an instant chord with them.”
Vishal adds, “I created an account on YouTube some 5- 6 years ago, because back then it felt like a cool social media website. It was only when a couple of my Doctor VC videos became viral and people started following my Facebook page, that I realised that people wanted to see more of my stuff because they found me funny! It was a great feeling because I was a nobody who just liked ranting about stuff ! That’s the most amazing thing
If you have the talent, nothing can stop you from becoming a celebrity. ARUNABH, FOUNDING MEMBER TVF
about being a YouTuber, you just have to put yourself out there, and your audience will give you everything that you want — love, admiration, suggestions and even blessings. But hey, they can also be really really mean at times.”
Himanshu Singh, an IT professional who regularly watches videos on YouTube says, “I watched those two IIT guys who made that hilarious review of the film Gunda, I’d have never watched that film, but after watching their review, I went ahead and watched it and it was totally worth it. So bad, that it’s good! I have been following them ever since then and have become a huge fan. To think about it, they were just regular guys studying in a college and now there are so many people like me who know them and who like them. I attended their live show in Gurgaon and it was crazy. You should have seen how the girls were all over Kanan. It was as if a Bollywood superstar had paid a visit.”
“I have to admit that I was inspired enough to start shooting my own videos and upload them on Facebook in the hope that maybe one day I become as popular with girls as they are,” he laughs.