Camera: Shivkumar Maurya
Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
For the first time, YouTube Fanfest has come to New Delhi where popular content creators like Bhuvan Bam of ‘BB Ki Vines’ fame, Prajakta Koli of ‘MostlySane’, fashion vlogger Sejal Kumar, and the young roast expert CarryMinati or Ajey Nagar will meet their fans.
The YouTubers spoke to The Quint about their journey to millions of subscribers and how they found what works best for them.
I Didn’t Even Realise When ‘BB Ki Vines’ Got Popular: Bhuvan Bam
If you think high production quality is all that matters, you have to look at Bhuvan Bam’s ‘BB Ki Vines.’ This YouTube star, with over 6 million followers, shoots with a phone in one hand and edits the videos himself.
For Bhuvan, thinking about the concept and script takes the longest time. He says that the passion for making videos has to be consistent because “you cannot fool the audience.”
Bhuvan told The Quint that there are times when he can’t think of a concept and chooses to film a video than putting out low quality content.
My Parents are My Best Critics: CarryMinati’s Ajey Nagar
Nineteen-year-old Ajey Nagar goes by the name CarryMinati on YouTube and has over 2 million subscribers. He made his first video when he was only seven, and laughs about the fact that it got “just two views.”
For Ajey, roasting is why he’s popular on YouTube and it comes naturally to him. His style of speaking and editing is distinct and clicks with his audience. When Ajey first showed his video to his parents, they didn’t agree with it, but over the years his parents have been a supporting factor and help him improve content on his channel.
Content Is God on YouTube: MostlySane’s Prajakta Koli
Prajakta has recently hit a million subscribers on her channel but has been in the game for over three years now. She says that it took her a while to figure out what she liked and what her audience wanted from her.
The ‘MostlySane’ star told The Quint that it’s important to have content in Hindi on a YouTube channel. For a long time, Prajakta had quality content but language was a barrier because most of it was in English.
She gradually started incorporating Hindi, due to which she was able to reach a wider audience, and has been performing better since the past eight months.
It’s a Surreal Experience to Be at YouTube FanFest: Sejal Kumar
Sejal Kumar is a fashion vlogger who also loves to sing and act. The 22-year-old discovered YouTube as a platform during her college days, and dreamt of being at the YouTube FanFest ever since.
She says she preps for her videos ahead of time – whether it’s thinking about the concept or shooting the videos. Sejal’s channel is a mix of her many talents, and she says she like to keep it simple and relatable with her “bubbly” vibe.
YouTube Fanfest is beiong organised across India for the first time. The Mumbai edition is due on 23 March.
(The Quint has given up the use of plastic plates and spoons. This Earth Hour, what will you #GiveUp to save the planet? Use the hashtag #GiveUp and tag @TheQuint to tell us.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)