Showing posts with label Prajakta Koli interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prajakta Koli interview. Show all posts
Some scenes were extremely physical although it is an audio medium. By the end of the day, we would lose our voice-Prajakta Koli
8:04 AM
Actor-influencer Prajakta Koli discusses the world of audio medium with her latest series, Desi Down Under
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; May 23, 2023)
Adarsh Gourav describes her as a “ball of energy”, and we couldn’t agree more. Prajakta Koli has the energy to do it all — from making YouTube videos that made her an internet sensation, to featuring in films, and most importantly, spreading the good word. There is no denying her youth icon status with the impact she has had with her conversations about mental health, body positivity, education and climate change.
Now, the actor-influencer talks about her first audio series Desi Down Under on Audible, which she had signed before Marvel’s Wastelanders, her connection to Australia, and the need to pick up swimming.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
Have you been Down Under?
I went to Melbourne for a work commitment. I haven’t been to the places we’ve talked about in the show. I wish to visit Australia because I didn’t see much of the country during that trip.
Was it easier to imagine the show’s setting because you’ve been to Australia?
I didn’t feel the need to make that connection because in the studio, Mantra [Mugdh, director] made it a visual affair for us. He travelled to Sydney before we started recording, and captured the sounds from Bondi beach, of people playing, chilling or fighting on the beach, and of conversations at the airport. The world was created for me when I started recording.
Can you tell us more about the series that revolves around three lifeguards?
Desi Down Under is about friendship between three people, love so beautiful that it scares you, and healing. It is about getting out of your comfort zone and seeing what you are capable of. I fell in love with it even before we began recording.
Do you have any experience in surfing?
I cannot swim to save my life. If I did [swim], I would be the one in need of saving [laughs]. While recording, Mantra told us to put our mind and body into it. I would have my headphones on with my eyes shut, and [make these sounds] to indicate that we are visualizing the wave. I have never surfed in my life, and was blindly following what Mantra was telling me. That said, I’d love to try surfing. When people ask the one life-saving skill I should have, I say swimming.
How was the experience of recording with Adarsh Gourav and Taaruk Raina?
Taaruk and I didn’t record together because our dates never matched. Mantra allotted one day where Adarsh and I recorded all our important scenes together. I remember the first time we were recording a tough scene, I have never seen anyone switch so quickly. We were having a regular conversation, and the next moment, Adarsh jumped in the deep end. Another thing I learnt from him was how aligned he is with everyone. He’d meet me midway in a scene, and was collaborative. He would listen to what Mantra was saying, and chip in what he thinks the character might do. It was a beautiful way to see collaborations happen. From him, I also learnt when to stop. He’d know when his body was giving up. Some scenes were extremely physical although it is an audio medium. By the end of the day, we would lose our voice.
You have had major career shifts. How do you decide what you wish to do next and make that switch?
It is a joint effort [based on several factors]. The first factor is how I am feeling doing what I do because I love my job. I am still learning and making mistakes, but overall, I love my job. The next factor is what my team has to say. I will always bounce thoughts off my family, friends, confidants, and my audience. For example, I started speaking about climate change early last year. Until then, I used to speak about education, body positivity, and mental health. When the opportunity came my way through UNDP [United Nations Development Programme], I sat down with my team to figure if I could do this. I rely heavily on [all of them] when it comes to work.
Michelle Obama is a hugger, and gave us such a big, warm hug when she walked in-Prajakta Koli
8:09 AM
As her docu with Michelle Obama is nominated for Daytime Emmy, YouTube star Prajakta Koli discusses how recognition exceeds her modest expectations
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 4, 2021)
For Prajakta Koli, the biggest high of being part of Creators For Change was working with former First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama. Every accolade that followed, including the Daytime Emmy nomination earlier this week, is “a happy bonus”. Remembering shooting the documentary, Koli — who has 6.2 million subscribers on her YouTube channel — says, “We were shooting at a restaurant in Washington that Mr and Mrs Obama frequent. I was dazed when I met her. She is a hugger, and gave us such a big, warm hug when she walked in. All my nervous energy vanished. Talking to her was so easy; it felt like a bunch of girls chatting about things they are passionate about.”
The documentary on girls’ rights, made in collaboration with actor Liza Koshy and YouTuber Thembe Mahlaba, saw Koli interact with the students of Prerna Foundation in Lucknow to get a better perspective on the challenges of girls’ education in smaller towns of India. “It was a hopeful story of women fighting against all odds. We got boys to discuss [the importance of] girls’ education, and that angle gave it a beautiful touch.”
When exchanging notes with Koshy and Mahlaba on the show, Koli realised that challenges for women are uniform the world over. “Liza went to Vietnam, and Thembe, to Namibia, and we heard of similar struggles. On a gender level, we all resonated with these stories being told on screen.”
The Internet sensation, who has a Netflix show behind her, admits that Obama’s presence makes the docu-series a strong contender in the Outstanding Daytime Non-fiction Special category. “Hamara palda thoda bhari hai,” she laughs, before adding, “In my heart, I am okay with just a nomination. I am a middle-class girl. When I set out, I told God, ‘Please give me 30,000 followers.’ This is way beyond my expectations.”
It's not only because you got famous that you got a show, say Dolly Singh and Prajakta Koli
8:25 AM
Creators first, and now actors, Prajakta Koli and Dolly Singh talk about humble beginnings, the hustle of celebritydom and fighting new social media talent
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; December 13, 2020)
Dolly Singh and Prajakta Koli have never met. Yet, they catch up like old friends when we set up a meeting on Zoom. The Instagram, and now Netflix stars, are riding high. Singh has amazed audiences with her natural talent in the Swara Bhaskar-starrer film Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, and Koli has been all over social media in a magical career where people can't get enough of her. In the recent film, Mismatched, she makes her film debut.
Koli started her YouTube channel, Mostly Sane, in 2015, and Singh debuted in the South Delhi Girl videos on iDiva in 2017. The last few years have then been life-changing—in a recent post to celebrate her Netflix debut, Singh's celebratory cake said, "Nainital to Netflix", a hark back to her humble beginnings, when her parents used to run a gift shop, and live in a tiny house (she recently bought them a new home).
Ask them if their success is a result of being in the right place at the right time, or hustle and hard work, they say, both. "When I started my career almost six years ago, nobody saw this coming, right? Who knew this was going to blow up. Back then, my biggest dream was to have 30k followers. That's it! But so many avenues opened up—I can now act, write, edit, write songs. Nobody saw this coming. The audience is also more accepting of newer content," says Koli, 27, who managed 2.9 million followers.
Singh, who has 1.1 million followers, says it is them, the first generation of social creators, who are figuring out the medium as they go along. "We may be driving the audience to watch us now, as we already have big followings. But when we started, we had to audition for everything—multiple times. It's not only because you got famous that you got a show. It's a lot of hard work," she says.
The two are naturals, making good use of the training they received while playing different characters on their Instagram and YouTube videos. One of Singh's most loved characters has been Raju ki Mummy, whose typical Indian middle-class ways will have you in splits. Koli's videos which would feature her playing the dad and daughter, were also full of slice-of-life humour and wisdom. "I always had the Bollywood ka keeda. I loved performing. But when I started doing YouTube, it was so empowering, since we are not dependent on anyone. I could play whoever I wanted to. Maybe because of that, I wasn't looking at auditioning every day, but I did take up every opportunity I got."
For Singh, even saying that she wanted to be in Bollywood was like asking for too much. "I didn't even have the audacity to say it. But yes, TV pe aana tha. On my first day on set, I was overwhelmed, with so many people around. You had to now act with people, not just by yourself," says the 27-year-old.
Koli seconds her, adding that the "acting is reacting" bit hit her hard, especially on the first day she went on the sets of Mismatched, and had to shoot a scene with co-star Rohit Saraf. "That's when I realised, this was a whole different ballgame." They may have now started the superstardom journey, but they still get creator anxiety when they see all the new talent emerge on social media. "You always have to be relevant—I have been feeling old seeing all the new creators. But you just have to be true to yourself, or the fakeness will shine through."
Koli feels there is enough space for everyone given India's vast audience numbers. "There are so many people in India, so as creators grow, the platforms will grow." Singh insists that there isn't as much jealousy, as mutual respect within the community. At this point, Koli says she remembers watching Singh's first home tour videos, where she gave her audience a look into her Nainital home. "I watched her new home-tour video now, and I am so proud of Dolly. We all know where we have come from, and the struggle we have gone through."
For now, they are focused on moving upwards and onwards, with better content and maybe new shows. But as they both say, every day is still a challenge, and they are constantly trying to rise above their own insecurities. "I am very shy. So every time, I am in front of the camera, I have to let my inhibitions go. It's my place to be outgoing," shares Singh. For Koli, the challenge is to fight anxiety over running out of content ideas. "Earlier, I would get upset and think, 'oh, I will have to shut my channel now'. Now, I just relax, and let it [the ideas] come to me."
Dolly Singh and Swara Bhasker share screen space in Netflix's Bhaag Beanie Bhaag
My first day on the set of Mismatched was a culture shock-Prajakta Koli
8:11 AM
Used to multi-tasking as a content creator, YouTube star Prajakta Koli on how she felt pampered during the shoot of debut web series, Mismatched
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; November 27, 2020)
"I would get the heebie-jeebies during auditions." One would hardly associate the statement with an Internet sensation who spends almost every waking moment creating videos and has close to six million followers on her YouTube channel. Yet, Prajakta Koli, better known by her YouTube handle Mostly Sane, says that as much as she loves being in front of the camera, she had a mental block against screen tests.
"I would get audition calls from casting agents, but I used to find an excuse to get out of them. Auditions would break me into a sweat. I act in my videos, which is my world, but there was a sense of discomfort in acting in front of others," admits Koli, who has made her official acting debut with Mismatched.
She quips that if she had her way, she would have skipped the screen test of the Akarsh Khurana-directed series. "I went to the audition in a T-shirt, sweatpants and chappals. I did not even bother to wear contact lenses, instead sporting my glasses. I was sure they would never call me back."
The Netflix series, also featuring Rohit Saraf, has struck a chord with youngsters. "My first day on the set was a culture shock. As a YouTuber, I do everything myself — be it writing, or make-up, or shooting. On a show/ film set, you just have to say your lines in front of the camera and go. It was also novel to play a character I have not written," says Koli, who has begun shooting for her big-screen debut, JugJugg Jeeyo. The Karan Johar production stars Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Neetu Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. Though Bollywood has come calling, Koli asserts she'll never stop making YouTube videos.
I can tell criticism from hate-Prajakta Koli
8:48 AM
Dhaval Roy (DNA; June 30, 2019)
On World Social Media Day today, you’d expect an internet star to gush about how the worldwide web has changed their life. But Prajakta Koli aka MostlySane simply says, “I wake up happy!” She elaborates, “When you’re 18, you think at 21 you’re going to be settled and driving your favourite car. But, to me, it came as such a shocker that my dream profession of being a radio jockey didn’t pan out the way I wanted. I was so bad!” That’s when social media came as a saviour and now she has become a sensation. “I feel like it was the best decision ever to do this,” she asserts, albeit admitting, “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. I am taking each day as it comes.”
In the past four years, the 25-year-old has managed several feats internationally, such as being invited to the United Nations to represent India on World Tolerance Day to an invitation by the Obama Foundation. She was also the only YouTuber in the world to have an exclusive video chat with the platform's Global CEO, Susan Wojcicki, and also the only one from the country to have been invited by Marvel to collaborate with the cast of Captain Marvel Brie Larson and Samuel Jackson.
Over to Prajakta for more...
What’s the best and the worst part about social media according to you?
It has given creators a platform — a place where people can voice opinions and have conversations; where you are visible, have more reach as well as knowledge. The world has no boundaries right now. You could be sitting anywhere and know about anything that you want. The bad part is that we have reached a place where we suddenly let the internet be the controller rather than the other way around.
How do you control the negative side?
When I’m on the net as a consumer and not a creator, I check whether the content is helping me or making me happy or not. When something makes me feel uncomfortable, insecure or insufficient, I know that this is where you draw the line. That’s the only parameter for me.
What about trolls?
Oh, they are like family now (laughs). Initially, it was difficult to not get affected but it didn’t take long for me to realise that I’m not the problem, they are. Netizens are brutally honest since they can hide behind a user name, so that has also taught me tell constructive criticism from hate. Haters are really loyal — they comment on every video and 100 supporters shut them up. That makes for great user engagement, which helps. I don’t reply to them because it will validate their trolling. Also, every time I think of a comeback, I get an idea for a video, so, I’m winning here (laughs).
What are your tips for upcoming influencers or content creators?
Most importantly, content is king. That’s the only thing that will ever work; no matter how much you push into production, expensive equipment and advertising or promotions. The consumers are honest as well as smart and choose what they want to watch, so don’t take them for granted. Just be yourself — talk about what you believe in and want to say.
If you could steal something from an Indian content creator, what would it be and from whom?
There are so many! From Bhuvan Bam, I’d like to learn how to make all the characters so unique — even if he looks the same for all of them. Ashish Chanchlani has this amazing team that I’d like to steal along with how he is so organised. BeerBiceps (Ranveer Allahbadia) has great attention for detail, which I’d like to have.
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