The Internet has seen its share of kingdoms rise and fall. Sites that once dominated the web are now nothing more than abandoned virtual ghost towns. In their place, emerged YouTube with no sight of stepping down anytime soon. Across the world, a lot of people took to the video-sharing website to create their own short films, music videos and sketches. Colloquially known as “YouTubers,” the phenomenon caught on in Chennai too, with a community dedicated to it.
Take, for example, the comedy collective Enna Da Rascalas, whose new music video, ‘NRI Song’, posted last week, has garnered more than 79,000 views. “Our group is focused on telling stories, and YouTube felt like a natural extension,” says one of the members, Venkatesh Harinathan. “The reach is amazing.”
The inspiration to begin making videos can come from anywhere, according to Anusha Swamy, whose channel, Papa Super, deals with everything from social activism to do-it-yourself handicrafts. “There was no electricity in my house one day,” she says. “Out of boredom, I made a video of myself singing the ‘Cups’ song from the movie
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Says Akriti Sachdev, who runs a blog dedicated to make-up, with more than 10,000 subscribers, “I attended a jam-packed YouTube Fan Fest in Mumbai, and I hope we see the same here. YouTubers can be serious influencers.”
Creating content that they hope will help them connect with their viewers is the first step. Ishika Sachdev, who runs the channel The Beauty Reels, says, “I try to engage with my audience and stay true to my personality. When people watch my channel, I want them to see someone with a genuine voice.”
Syed Mohsin, whose channel, Chicken Tikka Brothers features short comedic videos with his sister Seema, believes it’s about staying true to your roots. “I try to give my videos an Indian twist, because people relate better to what’s familiar,” he says, “
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Video making is a process that demands constant creativity and time, and can range from a week to even a month. And of course, for every bridge to stardom, there is always a troll. Negativity in the form of rude comments can be exhausting, according to Anusha. “Inspite of putting so much effort into creating an original video, there are still people who will accuse you of copying someone else’s work,” she says. “It’s that one hateful comment in a sea of positive ones that can bring down your entire day,” continues Mohsin. “Sometimes the videos we make, like the one about the Beef Ban can anger people. But we’re trying to create a dialogue and we have to accept both the good and bad responses,” says Venkatesh.
Luckily, for the most part, the numbers are on their side as the likes and subscribers continue to pour in, with channels being viewed from Malaysia to the United States. For now, they hope they’ll see YouTube grow bigger in the country with more YouTubers joining them. “I hope people realise that it’s the best outlet for all your passions, your emotions, and everything you’ve ever wanted to say, and the world is ready to listen,” says Ishika.