Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

In Indian village, residents take to YouTube to fulfil their Bollywood dreams

Residents got increasingly involved as a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 put many out of work, and now about a third of them participate in some form of content creation for YouTube, from acting to post-production work.

In Indian village, residents take to YouTube to fulfil their Bollywood dreams

A man sporting a black cap and pink T-shirt sits on a bullock cart, a pile of grass behind him, and busts a rhyme to a camera while riding across the dusty streets of India's Tulsi village.

The hip-hop video is just one of many home-grown, Bollywood-inspired productions being created for the village's flagship YouTube channel, which boasts nearly 120,000 subscribers and has more than 200 uploaded videos.


Inspired by videos seen in the streaming service, Gyanendra Shukla and Jai Verma set up the "Being Chhattisgarhiya" channel in 2018 as mobile Internet service became cheaper in India. They have both given up their day jobs to focus on the channel.

Residents got increasingly involved as a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 put many out of work, and now about a third of them participate in some form of content creation for YouTube, from acting to post-production work.

"Initially, we were clueless about what kind of videos to make buy youtube subscribers and how to make them," said 32-year-old Shukla, who is from Tulsi, located in the state of Chhattisgarh.

"We started using mobile phones to shoot and edit but later we thought we should upgrade."

They now produce two to three videos a month, from slapstick comedy and action dramas to educational shorts and music videos. As a result, they earn about 40,000 rupees ($483.93) a month from YouTube, more than the roughly 15,000 rupees per month they each earned in their previous jobs.

YouTube pays creators for content after their channel registers at least 1,000 subscribers and secures 4,000 hours of watched content over a 12-month period, according to its website.

But most of the money earned goes towards upgrading equipment, with only a few popular actors getting paid for their work. The rest volunteer in their free time because they like to see themselves on the screen or have a love for acting.

"I aspire to be an actress. I want to keep trying... yes, I will obviously go (to Bollywood) if I get an opportunity," said Pinky Sahoo, 24, a popular face in the videos.

The actors vary in age, with anyone from toddlers to grandmothers in their 80s taking part.

But for some, the channel is an opportunity to dream big -- well beyond the confines of the small village.

"We want the entire world to know us, not just India," said Verma, 30.

(Reuters)

More For You

Police Recover £1M Stolen Jewellery in Hounslow, Owners Sought

The jewellery was largely taken from London’s South Asian community in Hounslow between 2023 and 2024. (Photo: Met Police)

Stolen jewellery worth £1m recovered in Hounslow, police seek owners

POLICE are seeking to reunite stolen jewellery worth over £1 million with its rightful owners after recovering the items during a proactive operation across London and the home counties.

The recovered collection includes identifiable pieces such as a World War One officer’s Rolex watch, a gold locket containing old pictures, an engraved gold ring, and an engraved gold pocket watch from Harlow Bros Ltd.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-muslims

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

iStock)

Government announces fund to combat anti-Muslim hate

THE UK government has announced a new fund to monitor anti-Muslim hate and support victims, with applications opening on 7 April.

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

FILE PHOTO: Entrance of Manston short-term holding centre for migrants, near Ramsgate in southeast England. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

AUTHORITIES have launched an investigation following reports that a racist message was broadcast over portable radios at an asylum processing centre in Kent.

The incident occurred at the Manston site, where small boat arrivals are processed by the Home Office and its contractor, Mitie, reported The Guardian.

Keep ReadingShow less
Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

Sri Lankan animal rights activists take part in a demonstration in Colombo on April 3, 2025, to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Narendra Modi. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

SRI LANKAN animal rights activists marched on Thursday (3) to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

Authorities in Colombo and the Buddhist pilgrim city of Anuradhapura have reportedly deployed dog catchers to impound hounds ahead of Modi's visit, which begins on Friday (4).

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi hold a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Explained: Impact of US tariffs on Indian exports

The United States has announced a 27 per cent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods entering the American market.

Industry experts have said these duties will pose challenges for Indian exports, though India's position remains more favourable than some of its competitors.

Keep ReadingShow less