Category: Influencers

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
So, my content creation journey began 15 years ago. I was a radio jockey, and I started writing a column called Malini’s Mumbai, which many years later ended up becoming Miss Malini, and that’s how I started my content creation journey before the word content creator or influencer even existed.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
It must be some of the fun reels I’ve done with Bollywood celebrities over the years, and it didn’t take very long to shoot.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
I would like to collaborate with Lilly Singh, Niharika, Kusha Kapila, and Mostly Sane. : What piece of tech is your favourite Definitely my headphones. I never go anywhere without them.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I will be so happy as I can detox and take a little break.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
I think through the years, I’ve been very lucky that I got to be exposed to so many incredible people. Prahlad Kakkad was one of the first people who led me on the right path to becoming a copywriter, then Ashok Kuri in advertising at midday. The list is very long, and I’m very grateful to have all of them.

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

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
I have tons of bloopers, and one day I will release them one by one.

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
I think my very first trend must have been some dance.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
I think that we’re gonna be miles ahead as there’s already so much happening. We will get to see a lot of AIbot creators like Little Miss Quela, and there’s gonna be a lot of new apps and influencers. I think that there’s gonna be a lot of things that I can’t even predict and imagine, but I’m excited that I’m gonna be part of it.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on?
I’m on Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, X aka Twitter, and even Pinterest.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
I’m writing my second book, and it’s called Under the Influ. It’s coming out in January, and I’m super excited about the release.

Ex : What is your dream project?
I’m already living the dream life and am super grateful for it every day. I do have a couple of dream projects, and the one I would like to share is starting the Miss Malini Academy.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Never stop having fun, and don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t say I wish I was at a million followers because it’ll never be enough. Enjoy the journey as it’s more important than the destination.

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
Content Creation wasn’t even a concept when I started my journey 11 years ago. I simply posted YouTube videos and photos on Instagram because I loved it! While I did that, I also started an e-commerce brand called We Love Customade at the age of 19. These eventually became a source of understanding my direction going forward, and with consistency and the passion to keep doing it is what started my content journey.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
My recent viral reel was a video I shot on my trip to Kerala. I was skateboarding alongside a beach in a Kasavu saree! That got the masses speaking because it was something that changed the narrative of how one should be skateboarding.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
Ankush Bahuguna.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
My iPad lets me explore my creativity with digital art since that’s where I began.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I guess Im good if that happens. I have multiple ventures running on the side, and I have a lot of experience and ideas regarding marketing and branding. The ability to transition is what counts, and I believe I have that in me.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
It’s hard to put a finger at it, but when I launched my IP ‘Creator Masterclass’ in 2019 – it made an impact. Apart from that, all my brand deals are well thought out and executed. Im proud of all the work I put into every project. It’s really hard to pick one.

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

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
I once burned my hair while shooting a self-shot photo. It was during COVID-19, and I had a good laugh at myself and cried later for losing a lot of my hair, but it was too funny because the moment it happened, I was curious to know if I recorded it instead of checking my hair.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
I’m not a fan of all trends, but the spotlight self-shot photoshoot is the first one I hopped on during COVID-19.

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
My advice and prediction is: keep making quality, and only follow trends sometimes. Making unique IPs and making an impact will count.

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

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
There are a lot of things Im working on behind the scenes of what people see. I don’t need to disclose yet, but it only gets bigger and larger from here.

Ex : What is your dream project?
My dream project is the next big thing I’m working on, so let’s not disclose it and keep our fingers crossed.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Stop running the race. Take time to understand yourself and do what makes you “YOU”. Do not imitate others or follow trends mindlessly – that shuns your creativity, and you just become ‘one from among the billion’ and not ‘one in a billion’

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
It didn’t start because of the content, to be very honest, but just because I loved travelling and it was a random trip that I took to Nepal, which was my first ever International ride, so from then onwards, I uploaded my content for fun sake without knowing that it would hike so drastically on YouTube which gave me a boost and after that, I started my journey of content creation.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
I would love to work with Bhuvan Bam, CarryMinati, Mr. Beast and Casey Neistat.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
The latest Apple laptops.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I would then chase the YT shorts and post there.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
I don’t have any mentor as such.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
I feel proud of restoring the bike I had in my accident in Nepal. I never thought I would be able to be successful in this project since it’s a machine which has been discontinued since 2017, and therefore, it’s very difficult to get the parts of the bike, so remaking my H2 was the biggest and proudest feeling ever for me.

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

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
I tend to record many shorts while travelling, and I forget to upload them at the end of the video.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
My song Manzil.

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
It all depends on the creator’s mindset and talent and how they want to make the landscape look like.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
Facebook , Instagram, Threads and Telegram

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
I just don’t plan about the big things in life. I take part in the trend and make it happen, be it buying a superbike, car, etc.

Ex : What is your dream project?
To create a house designed by me in which I can showcase my bikes and cars.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Just be consistent; it’s the key to success! The world would try to tame you down but don’t give up and believe in yourself.

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
I started my journey as a teacher in 2018. I used to teach in colleges/schools/institutes for a couple of years, and side by side was posting videos on YouTube. Then, lockdown happened, I lost my job, and as a result, I started treating it as a mainstream regular thing by posting 10-15 videos on YouTube monthly.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
The Supra reel got around 40 to 50 million views; the idea was to import a car in India that is not available in the country.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
I want to collaborate with Irfan Junejo and Hamza Ibrahim.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite?
Sony Alpha A73

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I’ll look for the next best platform, which is going to take over Instagram, and I’ll have a live stream for my followers, asking them to follow me on the new platform.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
When I gifted an e-rickshaw to a woman who approached me for financial help. So, now she’s earning a good amount of money by having a food stall, taking care of her family and making her family proud.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
YouTube vs TikTok

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
YouTube will be off the charts in the next 10 years, and the majority of the content creators and audience will shift towards short-form content.

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

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
I have a dream of doing a movie, and I’m looking forward to it.

Ex : What is your dream project?
As I said, I want to be in movies so my parents will brag about my success, like from where I began and reached.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Be consistent and stay parallel with the platform, irrespective of the views and likes you receive on your content.

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
My content creation journey began on YouTube in 2010, where I initially shared cover videos of songs. With the advent of Instagram, I transitioned into creating original content, which eventually became a consistent endeavor.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
My content journey notably took off with my video titled “Rasode Mein Kaun Tha,” released in 2020, which has amassed over 90 million views on YouTube. The creation process spanned approximately 4-6 hours, divided across two days. The idea for this video was inspired when I encountered the content on a meme page, sparking my creativity.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with many of my favorite content creators. However, if we consider Charlie Puth a content creator due to his social media presence, I would be immensely thrilled to collaborate with him in the future.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
I rely on my MacBook Pro, and I’m continually amazed by its exceptional design and the multitude of tasks it can effortlessly handle within its compact frame. It empowers me to create music tracks that are release-ready, all using just the MacBook Pro, showcasing its remarkable capabilities.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
I’ll download all my archives and drafts from the app, and capture screenshots of the most memorable comments and direct messages I’ve received. And then go back to my studio to make more music.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
Tanmay Bhat is my primary go-to for feedback; his skill in providing constructive input is invaluable. Additionally, I greatly admire Zakir Khan, who consistently shares his expertise in a manner that I find highly beneficial and inspiring.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
One collaboration I’m particularly proud of is an acapella cover of “Insaaf” from Talvar with Rekha Bharadwaj. We didn’t use any instruments, and the outcome was fantastic – something I’m really proud of. for my shade, they would always tell me it’s impossible to get it in India. But after getting into this industry, I was the face of one of the foundation colours.

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

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
In the majority of my videos, I’m recording solo in my studio. Consequently, a significant portion of the time is spent conversing with myself while meticulously planning my next shot. It often amuses me when I review the footage later.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
I typically refrain from following popular trends because I firmly believe that when numerous creators adopt the same trend template, the risk of the video becoming lost amidst the crowd significantly increases. My objective is to minimize this possibility.

Ex What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
To be honest, it’s tough to say. The internet changes so quickly, and I get asked this a lot, but I can’t give a clear answer because things keep shifting all the time.

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
I primarily engage with my audience through Instagram and YouTube. I use Instagram for short-format content, typically under 1 minute, and reserve YouTube for longer-format content.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
I wish I could spill the beans, but I’m officially bound to keep it hush- hush. I’m super pumped about it though – it’s a project for an OTT platform that’s got me really excited!

Ex : What is your dream project?
My lifelong dream project is to create a song bank that spans over years, a collection that people will revisit and cherish time and time again.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
For new creators, my advice is simple: Watch lots of different content. The more you watch, the better you’ll understand what’s been done before and what fresh ideas you can bring to the table.

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
As an actor, I was always creating content; whether in front of the camera or behind the camera, I was always creating something. When social media came in, I wanted to create more original content for my brand, Nish Hair.

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
I feel the most viral reels aren’t the ones that you don’t plan. I genuinely feel it must be one of those hair-flip videos for me. Honestly, I’d never create content thinking it’ll go viral. Even with Nish Hair, I just created videos without any plan in mind and that have gotten the maximum views. I never expected they would be doing so well.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
Kusha Kapila, Charlotte Dobre, Komal Pandey and Ahsaas Channa.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
Kindle.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
Well, I will promote the heck out of my YouTube and tell people to move on that. And I’ll only do it for Nish Hair. I think, for my own account, I don’t think I have the energy to start fresh, but for Nish Hair, I’ll do it because girls gotta make money.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
I do not have an industry mentor, but I own my Instagram success a lot to “Girls Hostel”. It’s a series I did, which was very popular amongst young girls. Then, “Pocket Aces” came along when I was doing Girls Hostel, and they eventually started managing my social media brand deals. I owe it to these 2 for introducing me to the world of social media.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
Nish Hair – it’s my brainchild.

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you.
#malkin #alwayslookingup #nevergivingup

Ex : Can you describe a BTS / blooper that happened during a shoot but didn’t make it into the final content piece?
I was once doing this interview, which was meant for RVCJ, and they said, “Spill the tea”. So, we were having tea at that time, and I just took the tea and spilled it in her cup. I thought it was so funny, but they didn’t keep it. They thought it was disrespectful.

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
It was, “Kiki, do you love me?” when the car was being driven and I was dancing outside. I love that trend.

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
All the content creators understand business so well. I would not be surprised if all the Ace influencers have their own businesses down the line. A lot of them are starting because, at the end of the day, we are producing, writing, executing, and editing our content. So we can actually sell anything. I don’t know if Instagram will last 10 years or not, but many creators will be running successful businesses, agencies, or production houses.

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

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
So, my next big project is a series for Epic On. It’s a new channel that’s coming up soon. It’s called “Blue Tick”, and I’m talking about that project here because it is a satire on influencers and the influencer world, and I’m excited to see how it unfolds.

Ex : What is your dream project?
I want to act in a movie, which is a biography of Amrita Pritam. I don’t know if many would know, but she is one of the most profound, prolific writers, a poet from Punjab, and she was so ahead of her time when she was there.

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
I would tell all the creators, I know it sounds cliche, but if we all start doing what others are doing, then originality dies somewhere. I believe in doing whatever you understand and like instead of just hopping on the trends. Create your own niche because that’s what people would want to see, and you never know how many people would relate to your true self than you just trying to do someone else’s content or trying to recreate that.

Ex : How did your content creation journey kick start?
Let’s take a tour down memory lane. Little Karishma used to wear her mom’s saree and makeup, would lock the door, stand in front of the mirror and imitate one of the grey characters of a daily soap, ‘Komolika’. That’s how RJ Karishma – the content creator, was born. As I grew up, radio happened, which was a huge learning curve for me. However, with time, I realised that the actor in me couldn’t go faceless any longer, and from there, thanks to Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, it was all about lights, camera, and action!

Ex : What is your most viral reel/short? How did the idea come, and how long did it take to shoot?
We all know how difficult it can be to come up with creative or new ideas, but this one suddenly popped into my head. I decided to take that idea and run with it.

Ex : Any 4 creators you want to collaborate with in the future.
Indian creators would be Bhuvan Bam and Ashish Chanchalani. I admire what they’ve done for the creator industry. Internationally, I’d love to work with Lilly Singh and maybe Mr. Beast someday.

Ex : What piece of tech is your favourite.
My iPad and I are inseparable. I write my content scripts, Facetime my favourite people and binge shows on it. In fact I can’t get on a flight without it anymore.

Ex : Assuming Instagram is shutting down in 24 hours, what will you do?
If it does shut down, I will immediately start posting stories on Insta asking people to subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I will keep sharing content! So that I can keep the community alive.

Ex : Do you have an industry mentor?
Nisha Narayanan – CEO of RedFM has inspired me by her own success story. She has helped me make a better version of myself and take on challenges I wouldn’t normally attempt.

Ex : Tell us about a project that you are the most proud of.
The ICC World Cup last year in Australia was definitely memorable. I flew to the country, collaborated with over 10 international cricketers and even supported India in that victory over Pakistan!

Ex : Give us one or more hashtags describing you.
#Creative #Relatable

Ex : What’s the first-ever trend that you hopped on?
I don’t follow trends. I make my own.

Ex : What will the creator landscape look like in 10 years from now?
In a decade from now, you will see creators do the craziest things. You will see some as entrepreneurs, some as Bollywood actors, some writing their own shows and more. It’s a future I can’t wait for!

Ex : What are the platforms you are active on – how do you decide what goes where?
I’m active on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. Instead of diversifying my content as per the platform, I focus on making long and short-format content and then publishing it on the relevant platforms.

Ex : What’s the next big thing in the pipeline for you?
I can’t reveal much yet, but it’s big and something I’ve wanted to do for a while. Watch this space for more!

Ex : What is your dream project?
My dream project and the current project I’m working on are a little intertwined. You’ll hear from me soon!

Ex : Advice you would like to give to budding creators.
Find a way to be unique and stay consistent! These are by far the two most important things for any creator, budding or established.