Modi, Munda and Mann Ki Baat: All you need to know about YouTube sensation Isak Munda

Sambalpur’s daily-wage labourer-turned-YouTube sensation Isak Munda and cookery videos has caught the eye of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, figuring in his monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Sunday.

Modi said the use of technology by Munda, who hails from a village in Odisha’s Sambalpur district, “will amaze us”.

In his videos, Munda prominently shows local dishes, traditional ways of cooking, his village, lifestyle, family and food habits, the prime minister said.

The video creator’s YouTube channel has 7.79 lakh subscribers as of now, while his Facebook page has 14,000 followers.

“Isak ji once used to work as a daily wager, but now he has become an internet sensation. He is earning a lot through his YouTube channel,” Modi said in the radio programme.

“His (Munda’s) journey as a YouTuber began in March 2020 when he posted a video related to `pakhala' (fermented watered rice), the famous local dish of Odisha,” Modi said.

“Since then, he has posted hundreds of videos.”

Modi underlined that the effort of Munda was different for many reasons, especially because people living in cities get a chance to watch a lifestyle about which they do not know much. “Isaak Munda ji is celebrating by blending culture and cuisine equally, and inspiring us too,” Modi added.

The 35-year-old Munda, his family and village expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for naming them in his radio programme.

A class-VII pass-out, Munda worked as a construction worker and was struggling for survival after losing his job during the pandemic when he decided to try his luck with YouTube.

With a savings of Rs 3,000 and loan from a micro financing company, Munda bought a smartphone and started recording videos of random day-to-day activities including tribal food habits.

His first video was a clip of him having rice and sambar at his house. As the video went viral and received overwhelming response with immense ‘likes’ and ‘shares’, it encouraged him to record more such videos and post those on YouTube. A year later, Munda is a moneyed man in his community.

“Three months after running the channel, I received Rs 37,000 in my bank account from YouTube. A month later, I got Rs 5 lakh,” Munda said.

Union Dharmendra Pradhan called up Munda immediately after the Prime Minister mentioned his name in the radio programme.

“Munda is the symbol of youths' aspiration to do something different.” Pradhan said in a statement.