Trolls are the same everywhere, says YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani

From making Vine videos to YouTube content, Ashish is using his popularity for charity

In 2009, when Ashish Chanchlani decided to join the world of the Internet, he didn’t know what would come out of it. Originally a product of the Vine community, in 2014, Ashish made his first YouTube video titled ‘How to annoy people who say ‘Tu Mere Baap Jo Janta Nahi Hai’. With many more funny skits under his belt, he’s the third Indian YouTuber to cross 16 million subscribers.

Ashish says, “I’ve always wanted to become an actor. I was pursuing my engineering when I started doing Vines. It wasn’t a big deal because it was just a small video. I quite enjoyed making it and soon joined the YouTube world. It’s been great to do what I love and make a living out of it.” His videos’ USP is to create relatable comedy content. “I think the world could use some positivity. People just want to relax and watch something that can relate to as well. I’m glad I can make content to suit their liking, says Ashish.

Having said that, he points out that the version of him YouTubers viewers see isn’t the same as in real life. He explains, “We aren’t always fresh and happy. We have our bad days, but just because we don’t show that in our videos doesn’t mean we aren’t going through it. It’s not easy putting on a happy face all the time and doing so does affect our mental health.”

The lockdown has been a tough one for many. Ashish took a three-month break before he came to work. “I’ve just been spending time with myself,” he says, adding, “I’ve been writing and working on new content. I’ve been watching a bunch of movies I’ve been recommended to watch and writing analytical pieces about them. I feel it’s very important for the development of the kind of content I write for my YouTube channel.”

Over the years, there have been battles among the different social media platforms as to which platforms the creators should focus on. Ashish, too, had the same dilemma.

“YouTube is home — it made me what I am. But I am most comfortable with Instagram. I feel the followers there are more genuine and their feedback really matters to me. They mean what they say and there’s a personal connection there. It’s also an easier platform to stay in touch with your audience. So it’s quite hard to choose,” says Ashish.

According to him, trolls are the same on every platform. “They are jobless people who will criticise you without watching what you actually do. Their opinions and comments don’t really matter to me. Having said that, there are some you know you can learn from but that’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” he says. Apart from making YouTube content, Ashish also actively participates in charity work. During the floods, Ashish donated one lakh each to Assam and Bihar CM Relief Fund.

He shares, “It’s honestly not about how I participated or how much the contribution was, but it’s mostly about how my fans came together and extended their support. The power of the Internet was truly seen then.”