The OG creators of the YouTube video that brought a mysterious layman named Binod into our lives, tell us how he almost became larger than them
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; August 16, 2020)

If you have spent the last week wondering why a certain "Binod" is trending on social media, we've got you covered with all the dope. Last week, Paytm even changed their Twitter handle name to "Binod", a move that sent brands and social media addicts in a tizzy.

It all started when the creators of the YouTube channel, Slayy Point, decided to make a video about the garbage that people post in the YouTube comment section. It was during their research that 22-year-olds, Gautami Kawale and Abhyudaya Mohan, came across a user called Binod Tharu, who instead of a comment, left behind his name after every video he watched. Just his name. The video took potshots at this gentleman and others who spout nonsensical poetic lines, leave behind question marks or list the names of their family members. But it was Binod that everyone took a fancy to. "Maybe, it's because the name itself is strange; not Vinod, but Binod—a name that sounds outdated. So, it's even funnier! He makes up for just 20 seconds of the original video. We are confused about how that caught on," says Kawale, who has known Mohan since they were schoolmates.

The pair, who started the channel two-and-a-half years ago, have seen 2.5 million subscribers, with hits and misses along the way. Their content may be trending now, with celebrities like DJ Snake using it on Insta, but they admit that the start was all wrong. "We thought we would do cricket videos; that would get us the likes. When that didn't work, we thought of movie reviews. Finally, we decided to just be ourselves, and talk about subjects that our generation is interested in," says Mohan.

Their fans seem to be liking the change in strategy. "At one point, Binod was becoming bigger than us. But whenever he was mentioned, our fans made it a point to direct people to the original video," says Mohan, as Kawale adds, "It has changed our lives. The video has got three times the views it would have got usually. We have had to switch off notifications over the past few days. The original video has seen around eight million views, and we are getting mails from brands who want to work with us."

But the recent graduates say they won't let the new found success get to them. Although they have degrees in psychology and commerce respectively, they plan to use 2020 as a gap year to pursue their passion for YouTube entertainment. "We had decided early on that we want to be the way we are. We won't refine the way we look or talk. We can use fancy cameras and make our videos look glitzy, but it's how we are and the way we speak that people relate to. We take 10 days to research our videos and work on the scripts," says Kawale. "Only if you are genuinely interested in the topic you are talking about, will it make for a cool video. We like our comic streak, and we are good at it. We will continue it." For now, they are wary of talking about the future. "We had a few videos lined, up, but then Binod happened! And we had to make a reaction video to chase the original. You can never tell what is going to happen next," says Kawale. Mohan has the last word when he says that experiencing what it means to go viral has made them more fearless. "So, it's only big things for us now!"