July 2019 | Rolling Stone India | 51
Ours is the first generation making a living via
social media. Naturally, a lot of people still don’t
know what a creator’s job entails and where it is
going to go. As an industry pioneer, do you think a
career in social media is sustainable today?
The situation right now is a bit dicey. There are so
many creators now on digital media. Everyday there
are hundreds of web series coming out... I think we are
reaching a saturation point where hundreds of things
are happening at once. People have so many choices
that nothing is exclusive anymore. I always wanted
to do YouTube but looking at the current situation... I
wonder what else I can do that will help me stand out
from other creators. That’s the fight which keeps going
on in your head. You keep thinking, ‘What should I do?
Should I switch or not? What should I avoid?’ Plus the
barrier between YouTube, the digital space and TV is
wearing out. It's getting blurred and everyone from the
film and television industry has realized the potential
of YouTube. YouTubers are working in movies, they are
working in television. Five years ago you had to stand
in an audition queue for everything. Now you have a
digital platform where you can post anything for free
and earn money. You are your own boss. You don’t
need to listen to anyone to record your content. You
don’t need anyone’s validation.
Something (YouTube pop star) Darshan Raval
told me recently was that when he was singing
and trying to audition, people said, ‘Oh ye toh
bas YouTube singer hai, (Oh he’s just a YouTube
singer,)’ and they didn’t take him seriously at all.
As an actor and comedian, is this something you’ve
experienced?
I love it when people call me a YouTuber. I don’t
like it when they call me an actor. Actor matlab (is
synonymous with) Bollywood. And there are so many
actors there that you really can’t stand out. Being a
YouTuber is a unique thing. I feel like I’m right in
my own territory. If I want to make a jump, I will
do something else but on YouTube because that's my
forte. A laptop screen is my forte. If they want to see
me in theaters they will have to wait. If I'm being frank
and honest with myself then maybe they don't want
me on a bigger screen. But I think they will always love
me on a smaller screen.
Do you feel you’re more accessible on a smaller
screen?
Yeah and that's the best part! Engaging
with the audience and talking to them. For example,
when I do an Instagram live, I do this split screen
thing. I choose four or five people at a time and talk
to them. That's the difference between digital and
Bollywood. A person sitting at home will always feel
like, ‘Kaash main woh actor ko choo paata, kaash
mujhse baat hoti, kaash, kaash..’ Kaash hi rehta hai.
(‘I wish I could connect with that actor, I wish I could
speak to them, I wish, I wish...’ And it remains just a
wish.) But social media is very transparent. You need
to talk to them to survive on social media. It doesn’t
work without feedback. That's why social media has
so much connectivity.What’s a fan interaction that you really loved that
has stayed with you?
The last seven months I've spent in the hospital. My
father had a brain stroke. That neurology floor had
many rooms and my father was in one of them. When I
came out of his room, there was a kid standing outside,
talking to his mother or someone and he recognized
me and he said his sister had a brain stroke. She was
in a similar condition to my father and going through
the same things. He told me, ‘She is a big fan of yours
but she hasn't spoken, hasn't eaten anything since a
week. Can you come and talk to her?’ This was the
scariest part because you feel like the entire thing is
on your shoulders now. So I went into the room and
when she saw me she paused a little bit, looked at me
like she didn’t believe it and she sat up and started
talking to me and we spoke for half an hour. During
this half hour, we just told someone to get her some
food. While we were talking she was eating too. That
was the best one.I just got goosebumps. That’s amazing.
I don't know what impact creators like us have
on people but I really think that this is the kind of
love that everyone should share with each other. To
think of yourself as a star is completely idiotic. I think
you should keep your ego aside and when you starttalking to your people—they genuinely admire you.
The balance between the content creation and the
interaction with the fans is also an art. Some people
cannot manage both at once. It is tough. But not
impossible. Everyone is not busy all the time. We are
so vaila all the time. [Laughs]When did you feel you sort of got a hang of this
balance?
See, interacting with them comes naturally. When
I post a picture, the first 15-20 minutes is just for
interaction. If you have uploaded a picture, you
definitely have some time and you can use it to say
thank you or to say ‘I love you’ to someone. It’s easy if
it comes from within. So I think I have it.You’ve always loved talking to your fans. The last
time we spoke you mentioned that you’d prefer it if
they spend time talking to you rather than just than
taking a selfie and leaving.
Talking to them... you get a reality check, to
be honest. When you talk to them you realize that
whatever you are thinking is just an illusion. Especially
if they didn’t like a video of yours and have the guts to
say it to your face... Most people avoid this -- you are
always surrounded by ‘yes men’. But I don't like that.
That’s why interaction is the best.You like it when they have criticisms and when they
are honest with you?
You can sense when it is criticism and when it is
hatred. You can sense when they are genuinely asking
you to change your content or something else. A hater
will always start with an abuse.You’ve said in the past that you might make the
jump to Bollywood. Do you still feel the same way?
I really want to do Bollywood... but after some time.
I really want to spend some more time on YouTube and
I want to do things that no one has done on YouTube.
Once I've done that, I’ll move on.Do you want to do more production or acting or do
you want to do it all?
Acting is my main thing. Other than that, I need to
do background scoring!What’s a message you want to tell your fans?
A lot of people tell me that, ‘Mera kuch ho nahi
raha (I’m getting nowhere.) We've lost hope. I don't
know what to do.’ That's something that I can’t
respond to. I’m really sorry for that. One thing I really
believe in is that even if you are taking baby steps, it is
better than stopping. So if you aren't getting what you
want now, you might get it a week later. But if you stop,
you might not get it even five months later. Keep on
going. People talk, they’ll say things to you, but you
shouldn't stop. If you're really passionate about
something, go for it full throttle.BHUVAN BAM
“I really want to
do Bollywood...
but after some
time. I really
want to spend
some more time
on YouTube and
I want to do
things that no
one has done on
YouTube. Once
I’ve done that, I’ll
move on.”