The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic came as a shock not only to people but also to different sectors of livelihood – financial, cultural, and social. Lockdowns and work from home became the new normal and it took a toll on people’s mental health. In order to cope with increasing isolation, a lot of people took to entertainment platforms to feel a sense of togetherness. According to a report published by the Broadcast Audience Research Council, content consumption, especially on smartphones increased by 16%. An average user spent four hours per day, compared to 1.5 hours previously, on social media.
The most popular video-sharing platform, YouTube saw a surge in viewership and watch hours right after the pandemic started. According to a report by Mindshare India & Vidooly, YouTube had more than 300 billion views in the first quarter of 2020, 13% higher than that in the last quarter of 2019. Not only consumption but content creation also saw an increase with creators leveraging the hike in viewership to garner an audience base. Here’s a list of YouTube content creators who won people’s hearts and rose to fame during the pandemic.
Niharika NM (1.02M subscribers):
An engineer and MBA graduate, Niharika NM is an Indian content creator based in the US. When the pandemic triggered people to look for light-hearted and happy content, Niharika came to the rescue with her funny relatable videos on Instagram. One of the fastest-growing content creators on Instagram with over 1M followers, she slowly started growing on YouTube too. While she uploads short funny reels on Instagram, her YouTube channel is filled with funny skits. Her impactful video for the YouTube Creators for Change campaign is one of the most popular videos on her channel with over 13M views.
Jodi Anoorabh (212K subscribers):
Jodi Anoorabh is a YouTube channel operated by a wife-husband duo, Anoosha Shetty and Saurabh Chanderiya who are full-time IT professionals based in Bengaluru. The name ‘Anoorabh’ is a hybrid of their first names. Stuck at home during the pandemic, they took to Instagram and posted dance reels. Their expertise in dance rose them to fame from 4K followers to 212K followers in less than a year. Particularly, their dance reel shot on the stairs of UB City, Bangalore got viral and garnered over 50K likes. As people started recognizing their talent, they similarly grew their fan base on YouTube as well where they post lifestyle vlogs and dance videos.
The Taneeshow (222K subscribers):
Born and raised in Mumbai, Taneesha Mirwani is the face behind the channel, ‘The Taneeshow’. Considered one of the best Gen-Z content creators in the country, she posts funny videos, dance trends, Q&As, and vlogs on her channel and on her Instagram. Launched in June 2020 in the middle of the pandemic, her channel grew quickly to amass more than 27M views due to her funny and charming personality. Earlier this year, she also gave a TEDx talk in TEDx Youth organized by Singhania School. Currently, she is pursuing Bachelor’s in Cinematography and Film/Video Production from Boston University.
Agasthya Shah (281K subscribers):
Agasthya Shah is a Gen-Z content creator hailing from Mumbai who came to the limelight during the pandemic. His relatable and funny videos are the reason he rapidly grew on Instagram and YouTube while pursuing his studies alongside. Initially, he posted on Instagram and slowly started producing content for YouTube as well. He posts funny prank videos, Q&As, and lifestyle vlogs on his YouTube channel. Currently, his channel has 32M views with a loyal and encouraging community.
Riya Gogoi (226K subscribers):
Riya Gogoi is a BMM graduate who creates content on Instagram and YouTube. Her funny and easy-going personality made her content appeal to her young audience. Her videos related to the chat platform, Omegle became really popular and brought traction to her YouTube channel which has over 19M views currently. Not only does she create funny content, she also brings taboo topics to the table and discusses them on her YouTube in an engaging and entertaining manner. She also makes vlogs, challenge videos, reaction videos, etc.
Mansi Ugale (92.5K subscribers):
Mansi Ugale is a Mumbai-based content creator who posts self-portrait tutorials and vlogs on her YouTube channel. During the pandemic, she started posting creatively shot pictures of herself (self-portraits) on Instagram. She soon got appreciated for her talent and many young self-portrait artists looked up to her. During that time, she also posted behind the scenes and ideas for self-portraits on YouTube that became wildly popular and helped her gain a loyal and growing fan base on the platform. Currently, her channel has more than 9M views.
CONCLUSION:
Content creation has been slowly gaining much-deserved recognition slowly in India. The growing demand for content, especially during the pandemic has fuelled this process. This has led to many young talents coming to the forefront and receiving ample opportunities and exposure. With their relentless hard work, zeal to create art, and motivation to spread positivity, these young creators have gathered huge communities of faithful viewers.