I thought only thing I could do was talking
but in country to talk we either have to be politician or debater, I'm neither of it
any Indian parent or any South Indian parent would surely do
you finish 12th standard you study engineering and than you decide what you want to do in life
right so that's what happen to me in my life
my parents didn't give me an option first, No, become an engineer first
after that you can figure out what you want to become in life
so I didn't have much of an option
I remember I went to the nearest temple
praying to God asking for 2 digit subscriber
so that was my goal so ever since I did that
whatever happening after that it's okay I'm grateful that it is happening
Today I have somebody who is the biggest content creator influencer from South
But in India he is one of the most loved and recogened faces
Welcoming Madan Gowri in conversation with PINKVILLA
sharing his journey today with us
even you as a kid I don't think you must have thought of content creation
and YouTube as a profession
where did it start, where did this idea germinate from
it happened because of I wanted wanted to get on stage, I always wanted to have my audience
and I don't have any special talents like dancing or singing, I am very bad at it
so the only think I thought I could do was talking but
in our country to talk you either have to be a politician, or debater I'm neither of them
and I was a kid when started so very new for me
but all of us have our own messages
we just want public to hear you generally
if there a particular issue that is going on widely spoken
any issue recently there was this elephant issue going on
all of us have our own opinions and sometimes you feel that you want to voice it out
so there was one such issue that happened mostly for 3 years in Chennai
where a girl was murdered in a platform in a highway platform like early in the morning
in front of hundreds of people so that kind of triggered me
it was emotional output so I made a video and uploaded online
and that became viral so I thought I can start doing
it was never to make living out of it
but I just wanted to keep doing what I do
and it happened to become my living from last one year
I want to know that this is not what you set out for
you are really qualified professional you're an engineer if I am not wrong
I have so many friends who are engineers and I keep saying them you should quite engineering and follow your passion
tell me from where it started where did you do your engineering how did you suddenly think this is it
so generally what any Indian parent will or any South Indian parent will surely do
you complete 12th standard you study engineering and then you can decide what you want to do in life
that's what happen to me in my life
my parents didn't give me an option become engineer
so after that you can figure it out what you want to do in life
so I didn't have much option in life I think generally much in registration system
asking 17 year old to decide what he want to be in life is kind of stupid
no one has that maturity when you are 17, you have to get out you have to explore
so engineering at any particular under that we do
that to explore life that phase to get to explore life
what different streams you get to explore all this and after that you decide what you really want to do
that phase I call undergraduation because than you realize what your passion is
so I guess this is my passion
your childhood has not been as, you come from a humble background
if you can tell us about your background and not many people know about it
and it's not been a bed of roses if I can say so
it's typical middle class family
both my parents are working so
every month they get paycheck it's a normal middle class family
we had our own financial discuses
it was financially very challenging when I was a child
I don't have a huge story to say it's very normal story
like any other Indian kid in our country
it is very normal right out middle class upbringing
really not much to say I think all of us can rewind our past and see that's me nothing more
that's so sweet of you to say because you never had self petty on self
which is great thing and great quality
I want to ask you there times the video that you did
you said you did a reaction video to a murder that happened
and it was your opinion on it and it went viral
I want to know when did you take it up as a profession
completely taken up full flagitly as a profession
so I was doing my regular work
I was marketing anaylist from very big IT firm in India
I was working in marketing department in digital marketing
in Tamil we call it in english we can say everyone has moment where
Buddha set under them and suddenly they want to do what they want ot
Enlightenment I think
there was one such moment where I just felt
I entered my office I was doing my regular work
and I felt doing so much work and you're contributing to another employ
but if you really follow them there are set of people
why don't you really dedicate to that so there was this one second one out oif mind
I don't really care about the money or the numbers it's about satisfaction
going to bed every night and realizing you did something meaningful
you were also offered a Job in US if I'm not wrong, the offer you declined
not many people in your position would refuse a job offer
that would mean financial security for rest of your life
was it a difficult choice to make \
if I really look at US now I don't think I made a wrong choice
I think I realized this will happen
jokes apart yeah it was like
anywhere you go to earn your money you will spend on your country where you living as tax
this country has given so much what ever I'm today
it's because of the roads that are lead out , it's because of the schools ,and the society we are
whatever money I make I want to pay taxes in my country
you are a one man army also
you edit, you shoot and you put it out so
you don't have like team of people doing it or you are the only person doing it
I do it all alone
it's so satisfying and gratifying to see somebody like you
I want to ask you there are so many content creator on web today
it has become like everybody is reowned and everybody is sort after
is there a sense of competition anytime
do you see at other people's video and feel like not unhealthy
I mean like a healthy competition like you know with your so many numbers or why not do something
maybe why didn't I think of it maybe something like that
No brother I will tell you something that actually happened in my life
I started out YouTube channel I remember
I went to nearest temple and there was praying to the god 'asking for 2 digit subscribers
so that was my goal so ever since I did that
whatever happening after that I am grateful it's happening, no sense of competition
but there are so many now I think you have some 3 and half million subscribers if I am not wrong
500 millions views on all your videos which is great
also you know lot of people actually say
like when you talk about Indian societies
there is lot of discrimination happen from the region that you come from
sometimes you are made to feel that you're not the part of this city
has that ever happen to you because nation really likes you and your content
did you ever feel that or do you have that in your mind anytime maybe changes overtime
yeah I have faced it but it's okay it's part of the game right
we our generation we are the one actually changing things right now
you don't understand Tamil I don't understand Hindi but we talking to each other
we are the generation that is transchanging things around us
I think it is great for the country and the society as a whole
we are at the stage where we can change whatever is already out there
so I'm glad that we are doing it and happy
I don't have complaints I am happy
but what did you face is there anything you can share with us like what kind of stigma did you face
nothing specifically if one moment I felt
I am from another region and not getting there was no moment as such
whatever happened I felt like that's how society works
not even one moment I felt really bad or anything
you said you went to temple for two digit followers
when you got 6 digit paycheck what was your reaction first time
okay anyways i was earning well I was working in IT company
I realized money is not really the ultimate goal
chase your passion money happens, there is no need to run behind money
it happens fine if it doesn't happens fine
what I am really happy about is my subscribers my friends
I am really happy people call me brother, people call me son grandson
I have huge audiences from all age groups
so that is more satisfying and that keeps me going
I think that would be a more bigger and appropriate picture for me
that is the real blessing I got
when you start of I spoke to few influencers and content creator who said that
when they started of like Ranveer BeerBiceps
he would stand outside gym and tell people listen why don't you subscribe my channel
have you ever done something like that you went out of your way to tell people to come and watch your videos
or did it happen overnight because your first video hit 24K views within 24 hours
not in 24 hours it happened in months or so but yeah
this 50 K before the it was a big thing back then
I have asked people to subscribe my channel I have
use to send channel's link to all my classmates please subscribe
it was funny because most of them didn't understand Tamil again
but I use to send them and ask it's okay just subscribe
I use to do that actually I didn't get my 10 subscribers for very long time
I created a fake channel to subscribe my own channel
do you remember first time someone walked up to you and recognize you
yeah I remember it was in my college and
it was crazy because I had 2000 subscribers and one of them was from my college
so he said Madan you make videos on YouTube I said yes brother I do
it was a very normal conversation
he just asked me said you're doing a good job
I was like Oh God I did it someone recognized me
how did the family react to the success that you got because of the content you are creating
my parents don't really understand internet much so
it's okay they are happy that I'm making living out of it
they are happy as long as I can survive
I think most parents are like that they are happy with you following your passion
if you can actually make a living out ofit
happy is man who can makes hobby his profession
Thank for this conversation, Madan it was lovely talking to you
I hope we get to meet once this lockdown ends and do this in person
till then you have NG squard supporting you
and it's not easy to make an army of your own