Comic Saloni Gaur, better known as Nazma Aapi, has created a huge fan base with her YouTube channel and Instagram page ‘Salonayyy’. A contemporary comedian and mimicry artiste, Saloni, who hails from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, addresses social issues through her videos.
Saloni’s journey began as the character Pinky Dogra, who rants about key developments. However, her breakout character has been an opinionated and a candid Muslim woman, Nazma Aapi, who looks at socio-political issues through the eyes of a middle-class woman.
She has also played other relatable characters and mimics celebrities like Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor, Ananya Panday and Neha Dhupia. In a chat with Metrolife, she talks about her videos and more.
What inspired you to make these short videos?
I wasn’t inspired by anybody or anything. I pursued my graduation course in Delhi; it was a new city for me. I didn’t have much to do, so I began exploring different social media platforms. I realised that one could even upload videos on Instagram. That’s how it all started.
Is comedy your way of expressing your opinion about today’s issues?
Yes, I think so. I feel if I can convey something with a pinch of humour, people will understand it better and not take offence from the first line itself, which most of them generally do.
Why did you choose to be Nazma Aapi?
It was a very random decision. It was Eid 2018 and I decided to make a video on its preparations. I thought the video would look more relatable if I use a Muslim woman’s character. I thought of a name and Nazma sounded familiar. The dialect which I use for Nazma Aapi is spoken widely in parts of western UP and old Delhi. It was interesting, hence I used it.
How many characters do you play?
I’ve created 15 characters so far, but I’ve stopped playing four of them now.
Is there a reason your YouTube channel is called ‘Salonayyy’?
Whenever my mother would get angry, she would scream my name like that. I chose Salonayyy as my Instagram username. When my videos went viral in 2019, I created my YouTube channel and I could not think of a name, so I decided to go with the same handle.
Is comedy a challenging genre to work in? Do you feel it is a more powerful than other formats?
Yes, definitely. Comedy is a challenging genre as it’s not easy to come up with a joke. Comics also have their bad days but you still have to make people laugh, so it is tough. As I haven’t used any other genre, I can’t comment on them. I believe that comedy is more powerful than a serious analytical talk because people tend to get bored easily. And who doesn’t want to laugh?
Does comedy help boost one’s channel or brand?
This is not the case on social media. Everybody has their own audience. There are different pages on social media — for cooking, choreography and others that provide information about current happenings. They have all become a brand of their own.
How challenging is it to generate content?
It is tough. Your audience wants something new each time. Your content needs to evolve to keep your audience engaged.
How do you choose the subjects that you comment on?
I keep myself updated on whatever is happening in the country and around the world. If I think that people should know about some
issue, I make a fun video about it. Sometimes the videos are about random things too.
What does the future hold for you?
I want to work on a lot of things in the future; one of them is to write a book.