Author: Exhibit Staff

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
I started my YouTube journey back in 2018. I did it on and off more often through the years, but I couldn’t find my footing because I was trying to do what worked best on the platform, which led to a massive burnout. Then, I thought, let’s explore posting these short videos of my outfits, like styling tips. Basically, me talking about my outfits on Instagram and back in 2019, people weren’t into posting videos as the platform was more of an aesthetic-looking feed, mostly pictures. So, I was a little bit of a visionary at the time because I don’t think many content creators were doing it. So that’s how it started.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
I have never been one of those creators who reached any place because of virality. I have many videos that picked up and got like a million views, specifically when reels were launched. I’m not a product of virality, I’m a product of sustenance. I was always consistent and patient, even though so many things in my life pushed me to give up on content creation, but I didn’t give up.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
I have a tattoo on my arm which says – do more. I used to be obsessed with Casey Neistat back in my YouTube days, and he had the same tattoos, which said, “do more” on his arm. And I was so inspired that I got it on my wrist, which said do more. So, yeah, he’s definitely one of them.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
I think my laptop, I’m a huge fan of postproduction and editing. Before content creation started, the first thing I did was build my editing skills. It’s my most prized possession.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I think I will write a beautiful thank you note and continue writing a new thank you note every hour for those 24 hours. I will make thank-you videos and reels. I will make thank-you carousel posts, stories, and live sessions. I will do it all for those 24 hours; I will thank the community that helped me build because if it weren’t for this community, I don’t know where I’d be.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
I think people are very harsh about the secrets of social media. I remember speaking to a few creators, but they weren’t ready to speak up, and it was so sad because they were afraid that I would blow up or maybe because of their insecurity. So, initially, for content creation, I never had a modelling and fashion industry mentor. I think one of my first mentors was Eddie. He’s a stylist. He was the lead stylist in the editing for Harper’s Bazaar India. It was my first cover I had done. I was put on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar magazine after walking the Ramp for Lakme Fashion Week for the first time. Then, my second mentor was Laksmi Rana, who helped me with modelling, and my third mentor was Manish Malhotra, who taught me a lot.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
I’m proud of every single project I do, but there are so many videos through the years that I’m super proud of.

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
My content journey started in early 2017 when I first set up my PC.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
I was making a video with my mom and younger brother, Jaggu. We weren’t really looking to make a funny video, but we were going somewhere. I have a Harrier, so it requires you to use your leg to open and close, and my mom isn’t very tall, and we were recording, and I went back to her and captured her jumping and trying to close the boot and somehow people found it very funny, and it went viral.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
Pewdiepie and Dream.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
For me, my computer holds a special place as my favourite tech. As a gamer, I spend most of my time on it, and it’s become an integral part of my life. On the other hand, in terms of less mainstream technology, I’m a fan of VR. The immersive experience it offers in gaming is genuinely remarkable, adding a realistic touch that takes gaming to a whole new level of enjoyment.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
I’m fortunate to have an industry mentor I deeply admire – Tanmay Bhat. He has been an invaluable source of knowledge and guidance in various aspects, including content creation and finance. I consider his mentorship a blessing and have immense love and respect for the wisdom he shared with me.”

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you.
#Hardwork #Gamer

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
I maintain an active presence on both Instagram and YouTube, but my primary focus is on YouTube, where I manage a network of five distinct channels. This task presents a considerable challenge, as each channel caters to a unique content niche. Deciding where to upload each video across these diverse channels requires meticulous planning and consideration.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
I have some exciting projects in the pipeline that will make a significant impact in the coming months. While I can’t reveal too much at this moment, rest assured, they are poised to be game-changers.

Ex : What is your dream project?
My dream project involves meeting Shah Rukh Khan and collaborating with him on a captivating video.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
I advise aspiring creators to expand beyond a single game or niche during their initial stages. Instead, exploring various content avenues is essential to grasp what resonates with their audience. It’s not about imitation but rather about staying informed about trends while infusing your unique personality into your content.

 

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
During lockdown, I became a big-time foodie, and I used to order Domino’s every other day. So one day, I told my manager in a joke that Domino’s should pay me to eat and promote them, and my manager just dropped a mail to the brand and voilà! A few days later, I got my first paid campaign for Domino’s, and from then, I’ve had a fantastic journey by creating content for more than 100 Brands.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
This was just random, my fans have been requesting a saree reel for a long time. So I decided to do a quick one on this song as I love the vibe of it; I shot this in just 1 hour in my society, where we are not allowed to shoot, so we were sneaking around and shot this and posted it next day, and it reached 500k views.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
Dimpi Sanghvi, Rizwan Bachav, The Rebel Kid, Aadil Khan.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She also started with modelling, and the rest is history. She influenced me in many ways; if I can be 10 per cent of her, that will be enough for me.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
My first Telugu movie, I was new and had no acting knowledge, but I got an opportunity to play a lead role with such an incredible role, and that movie became a blockbuster hit in Hyderabad and was released in Mumbai in many theatres. I took my family, my friends, my boyfriend’s family and everyone from my society to watch the film and they were so proud and happy, that made me happy.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you.
#NavelQueen – This hashtag has been given to me by my fans.

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
Actually, during my Telugu movie shoot, there was an action scene, and after the first take, the light fell on my face and gave me a scar for life. But it shook everyone on set, and it’s not exactly a blooper, but it’s one of the behind-the-scenes I will never forget.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
I always had a fondness for dance, so I started creating a trend of dance covers totally in Bollywood style for YouTube when it was not even in the trend.

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
It will be treated as a proper occupation. And will be respected by everyone. Not just as influencers. But as motivators and icons.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
Instagram and Snapchat.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
I want to get back into acting; due to the lockdown and back-to-back accidents, I haven’t done anything in the past four years, but hopefully, next year, I will get back into acting.

Ex : What is your dream project?
To work on Sanjay Leela Bhansali project, On a very interesting character.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Figure out what works on your profile and what your audience wants to see from you. And make it your niche and post more of that.

 

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
I started my content creation journey by learning to talk about menstrual cups, which is a revolution, and we don’t talk about it enough.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
It was about how you should not hover when you pee in a public toilet. That was in collaboration with Nehadoodles. I saw her reel; she was doing the Beyonce trend, and I loved it, and I was just like, where she shows how when we go to a public toilet, we hover over the seat instead of sitting. I thought it would be a brilliant idea to make a reel. So, as soon as I got out of bed, I shot that reel without any makeup, with my hair looking wild, and it got 5 million views.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future
Doctor Mike, Casey Neistat, Kusha Kapila, and Dr. Karan Rajan.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite
My DJI mic, I absolutely love the DJI collection.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I will download all of my content and upload it to YouTube instead

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
That has come from Instagram, my HPV vaccine campaign I led along with the Her Adhikaar Foundation Foundation and Change.org. We are leading a campaign to petition the Indian government to make the HPV vaccine a part of the National Immunization protocol, and if we can do this, we can make India cervical cancer-free, which is the second largest leading cause of death in women in urban India and I’m going to change it.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you
#screwtheshush #filterhataoshakaldikhao

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
It actually did make it into the final content piece. A reel where I was explaining, “does masturbation cause acne?” and as I was
explaining that, I sneezed very loudly. And as a blooper, I decided to upload that real; it was my first reel that got 1 million views.

Ex : What will the creator and scape look like in 10 years from now?
Hopefully, there will be more creators from the fields of medical and science communication. I’m very excited to see that. That’s just a very budding new field right now.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
I’m a medicine and science communication expert, so I put everything everywhere.

Ex : What is your dream project?
I want to launch the biggest repository of sexual menstrual and body literacy content ever, and I would like to make it in partnership with the government of India. So It reaches everybody in this country, and everybody can transform their lives.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Keep at it. Just keep posting and do what you love. Don’t try to imitate somebody else. Put your own style. Do silly things that feel like you become your trademark, and just be true to yourself and keep pushing every day. Also, remember to take your breaks because it’s a very it’s a high burnout, higher attrition rate industry. So take time for yourself, but also push.

 

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
Actually, in terms of content, I already had a fashion blog and a YouTube channel for that fashion blog, and it was called Spill the Saas. So, I was making content, but it was different from what I do now, which is more entertainment and comedy. A comedy thing happened when I was working with iDiva as a writer, and it just happened that we were supposed to start making videos for the platform. We all had to do that together, and some of us got a lot of attention and love from people, and that’s how I got the kick-off. I started taking it more seriously and making my own content on Instagram in line with the comedy I was doing. So, that’s how it started, and now here we are.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
So, a few have reached millions of views, but I will share two of the most special ones because one is this deal that I made, where I have this series called “How aunties talk about sex”. After all, I wanted to talk about sex. It’s such a taboo thing in our society, and I wanted to talk about it in ways that normalise it by making it fun and exciting so people can share it. So, one of those videos from the series went viral, and a lot of people enjoyed it and shared it, which was fun to see. I was happy that, at least in the form of humour, we were talking about some important things and taking the taboo away. And the second one was either a series on Wednesday or an Indian version of the Wednesday called Budhvar, and people liked it.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future
Jenna Mowels, Emma Chamberlain, and Mia Maples.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
I’m not a techie person, but yeah, camera.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I think the first response will be to have a panic attack, lots of anxiety, maybe tears, and freaking out. However, sooner or later, I’ll realize that’s how life is, and I’ll look for a way to move on. I can always make a living because I’m capable enough. So, at the end of the day, I would not be upset about it and start looking at my other options more seriously.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
Santu Misra – our creative director at iDiva

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
I’ve made some mini-films on Instagram, like short films of about 4-5 minutes. And there are 2 of them. I do another series on Instagram called I’m Rani. I have a big movie coming up, “Thank you for coming,” and I’m extremely excited about that.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you
#spillthesass

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
I think when I used to do fashion blogs, I hopped on trends quite a few times.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
Instagram and YouTube

Ex : What is your dream project?
I think a dream project for me would be something that I’ve written and am acting in or something I’m directing because that’s also something I would wanna explore at some point in life.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
They should take the influencer responsibility seriously because working on social media can be daunting, and you get a report card every day with every video you put out or every post you make. Also, it’s extremely important to keep your head up and not take everything people say to them on the platforms very seriously.

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
My content creation journey started with a very hesitant corporate girl, one day, deciding to post a picture on IG with the hashtag #FashionBlogger – all because this girl got tired of answering (for free!) all questions related to fashion and travel thrown at her. Little did I know that my work would be so well received. It’s been 5 years since, and every day is as new as day one in content creation.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
When I was on a trip to Shimoga, I shot this one reel showing how peaceful and tranquil the place was, and it went viral, amassing millions of views.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite
My laptop.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I would feel sad because I’ve amassed a tremendous audience over the last 5-6 years, and I post all of my work here. I do have a YouTube channel for backup, although I’m primarily active on Instagram instead of other platforms. Also, any smart person in today’s age would have multiple sources of income, and I am no different. I would find an opportunity to thank all my audience and beat them a good farewell till we meet again on another platform.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
Well, not a project, but a series of projects. I was one of the first influencers; in hindsight, I was the first influencer who started travelling with followers. I created this whole Travel with Banjara series where I would take my audience along with me to different cities or different countries. I’ve made such trips to Nagaland, Meghalaya, Kerala, Bali, Bhutan, Kasol, and Khirganga, which were huge successes. And now, this has become such a huge trend, but back in 2018, when I started, nobody else was doing it.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you
#Banjara #BanjaraTravels #BanjaraStyles #TravelWithBanjara

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
If reels can be called a trend, that could be something I hopped onto; otherwise, I’m not someone who follows trends. I’m a slow creator as I believe in eternal style and fashion rather than hopping onto trends. So, I don’t easily hop onto trends.

Ex : What will the creator and scape look like in 10 years from now?
Ten years down the line, the type and quality of content that you are producing will become even more important than it is now.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
Instagram and YouTube.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
That is something that I will disclose on my Instagram profile pretty soon.

Ex : What is your dream project?
I don’t have a particular project in mind, but I would love to work in a luxury segment, as that is something I haven’t explored much yet.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
If you are interested in the field, you can only get subpar success if you wing it. Treat it like any other career – devise a plan, execute it properly and be consistent.

 

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
My content creation journey began during my LLB days. After practising law for 2 years, I transitioned to coaching communication skills and interview preparation. The pandemic led me to shift everything online. This also helped me get a global audience through different platforms.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
The “Tell Me About Yourself” interview questions and providing effective “Salary Negotiation” tips. I came up with this idea because this is where most candidates struggle, so I wanted to share a practical approach to help them stand out.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future
Sandeep Maheshwari, Gary Vaynerchuk, Ranveer Allahbadia, and Simon Sinek.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite
My microphone setup.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I would consider transitioning to known platforms such as YouTube and LinkedIn to ensure that my content journey continues without disruptions. I would also share a video addressing the situation and ask my audience to join me on these platforms for ongoing learning.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
My industry mentor is my mother. With 35 years in teaching and being a globally recognized IELTS Coach, her guidance and legacy of knowledge have immensely shaped my path

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
I’m immensely proud of the Diksha Arora App, a one-stop solution for job seekers. It offers comprehensive interview preparation, resume building, LinkedIn optimization, workshops, and more

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you
#JobSuccessGuide #CareerGrowthMentor #CareerAdvancementCoach

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
A funny blooper occurred during a shoot when my dog unexpectedly jumped on me. While it didn’t make it to the final content, it added a light-hearted moment to the behind-the-scenes process.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
The “10-Year Challenge” was the first trend I hopped on.

Ex : What will the creator and scape look like in 10 years from now?
The creator landscape will likely be more dynamic and diversified in a decade. Emerging platforms and evolving content formats will continue reshaping how creators connect with global audiences.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and my Diksha Arora App.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
The next big thing in the pipeline is expanding my online courses and launching webinars to offer in-depth guidance to job seekers and career aspirants.

Ex : What is your dream project?
My dream project is collaborating with various educational institutions to incorporate career counselling and interview preparation into their curriculum. This will ensure that students are well-prepared for their careers. Moreover, I want to collaborate with maximum placement agencies to ensure all my candidates are placed in the top companies.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
My advice to budding creators is to stay true to your passion and consistently provide valuable content to your audience. It’s essential to keep learning and actively engage with your audience while remaining open to change as you move forward.

 

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
I used to be a journalist and television news anchor before this. So, I was always a content creator but for a different medium. However, I quit my media job in 2017 and started documenting my travels and visits to new restaurants and publishing on Facebook. People started liking it, and the rest is history.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
Viral content is always evolving and keeps changing, but I will share the most recent one. We usually create viral reels now with celebrities involving a food angle, which helps in higher reach. We were interviewing both Naga Chaitanya and Rahul Gandhi for our food-based shows and created this, keeping their personal food choices in mind.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite
Laptop. I cannot survive without one.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I would keep recording my videos and photos on my phone without posting them. I barely spend time on Instagram, I use it only for posting.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
My co-founder and husband, Samar Verma, is my mentor. He understands the content industry like no one else and is always ahead of the curve. I often reach out to him for all the advice I want.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
I recently shot a documentary about preserving India’s culture and honouring India’s heritage. The film “Dharohar Bharat Ki” featured PM Modi’s contribution and also had his interview bytes. The film was published on JioCinema and his YouTube channel, too.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you
#CurlyTales #TravelTales

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
My editors have a great laugh, but there is so much of me tripping, spilling food, dirtying clothes, mispronouncing words, etc

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
There will be social media apps as per your interests. We recently launched an app only for those interested in food and travel – CurlyTales App.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
Every platform demands a different kind of content packaging. All content goes on all platforms, but we package it a little differently.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
Creating travel series for Indian and international tourism boards. Interviewing celebrities in more and more candid ways.

Ex : What is your dream project?
Travelling and creating content with celebrities.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Don’t quit your job for content creation.

 

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
Back in high school, I snapped a pic on my friend’s phone and posted it on Facebook, then I started customizing my profile, and by using different cameras, I spread my content to the public. The positive response motivated me to keep creating.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
I’ve been obsessed with bike stunts like wheelies and rolling ever since I started watching films. So, in 2016, I decided to give it a shot myself and recorded a video and uploaded it on YouTube and Instagram, It blew up and went viral.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future
Mumbiker Nikhil, Traveling Desi, Casey Neistat, and Mr. Beast

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite
The drone is my favourite.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
Creativity has no bounds; I will continue to create and share content on other platforms.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
Particularly, I don’t have any industry mentor, but I draw inspiration from all the positive and impactful people I come across.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
The Kerala tourism project, which came through Exhibit Magazine, has indeed taken me to new heights, and that opportunity led to such great recognition and success, which makes me proud.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you
#thedappersardar

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
I don’t remember encountering any blooper that didn’t make it into the final content.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
I jumped on that GTA trend for the first time, and it was insane.

Ex : What will the creator and scape look like in 10 years from now?
In the next 10 years, we will see virtual reality taking things to a whole new level, it’s going to be like living in a virtual world with revolution like never before.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
I’m more active on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. I upload my content according to the platform’s time duration limit.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
To be on the billboard is my biggest chase, so I will keep hustling, pushing my boundaries, and doing things outside the box to build a stronger online presence.

Ex : What is your dream project?
My dream project is to start my own clothing merch and become the brand.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
I will encourage them to be authentic and confident with the language they are comfortable with and let their true personality shine through vlogs.

 

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
Only a few people know this, but my content creation journey began in 2016. However, my work went viral in 2022, and I’m grateful for that.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
The one where I played the character of Alia Bhatt saying “Shiva-Shiva” from Brahmastra. It was a very random reel and took me merely 5 minutes.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
It’s my dream to collaborate with Bhuvan Bam.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite?
I’m currently watching a lot of reels of iPad as I’m planning to buy one to fulfil my hobby of drawing.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I don’t know. Let’s not say this touchwood.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
No, I don’t have, but Alia Bhatt is my inspiration.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
It’s going to be released in September, my first-ever Web Show.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you
#Chandufam describes me

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
I have shot more bloopers than actual reels. I keep laughing, and it’s very difficult for me to make a straight face and shoot.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
I don’t really remember, but with all the trends, I mostly make sure that I twist it in my way and shoot it.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
Instagram and YouTube.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
Shhh, that’s a secret.

Ex : What is your dream project?
Sharing a screen space with Alia Bhatt.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Create USPs (Unique Selling Points)