Nikunj Lotia aka Be YouNick who is world famous not just in Dombivali has completed 6 years as a Content Creator and we spoke to him about his journey and more in a candid interview.
Be YouNick is one Content Creator who is relatable, entertaining and always comes up with the most engaging content. He began his journey 6 years ago and got his first taste of fame as his parody of the Mauka Mauka video went viral. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the most loved Creators and has collaborated with other talented Creators not just in India but with international Creators as well.
He is an inspiration to many and certainly a favourite for millions of people. We recently spoke to Be YouNick and got to know a lot more about his journey, his process of creating good content, and more.
Here are some excerpts from it:
How has working from home for you? Did lockdown help you unlock new ideas and creative processes?
"YouTube videos took a break. But Instagram grew with newer ideas and exciting collaborations. Working from home has taught me to work with what is available easily. Executable things. Or how to make them easily executable if they’re not."
You were working as a bartender even after being famous on Youtube, how would you describe your journey so far?
"One word. Unique!"
< style="padding:16px;"> < style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">< style="padding: 19% 0;"> < style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;">< style="padding-top: 8px;"> < style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram< style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">< style="margin-left: 8px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> < style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">< style="margin-left: auto;"> < style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> < style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">
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Were you always keen on doing comedy? Did you always see yourself opting content creation or comedy as a career?
"Keen on pulling-off a comic trick every time, yes! A career out of it, no! Six years back, nobody was paying a handsome sum to Creators for branded content. YouTube as a career option didn’t exist. It has become one now when so many young Creators and also so many film stars have also started to explore the digital world."
What would have been your Plan B if Content Creation as a career didn't work out?
"There was no Plan B. According to me, having back-up makes a person relaxed and less motivated. It gives you a safe feeling that 'You can quit anytime and go back to your back-up option'. One gets too afraid to fail and fall. But when you don't have a fallback, you have no choice to keep working hard, excel, and succeed in whatever it is you are doing!"
< style="padding:16px;"> < style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">< style="padding: 19% 0;"> < style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;">< style="padding-top: 8px;"> < style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram< style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">< style="margin-left: 8px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> < style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">< style="margin-left: auto;"> < style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> < style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">
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Here's how he responded to our rapid fire:
What skill did you ace during the lockdown?
"Cooking, for sure."
Three things you did the most during Lockdown.
"- Spend a lot of time with family. Hadn’t done it in years due to work.
- Tried so many new recipes.
- Catching up on the shows and movies I hadn't seen earlier."
How do you unwind yourself? What's your secret sauce to break the creative block?
"There’s no sauce. There’s a cup... of Chai!"
< style="padding:16px;"> < style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">< style="padding: 19% 0;"> < style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;">< style="padding-top: 8px;"> < style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram< style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> < style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">< style="margin-left: 8px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> < style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">< style="margin-left: auto;"> < style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> < style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> < style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> < style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">
A post shared by Nick (@beyounick)
Things you like to do when you are not making a video.
"Thinking what video to make next! ;)"
5 must-visit places in Dombivali.
"Shilphata for starters, if you get past the Shilphata traffic, then Regency Tekdi, Thakur Vada Pav, Ganpati Mandir, Saat Pool, 90ft Road."
How will you pitch Dombivali to a non-Mumbaikar?
"Probably show that person a couple of Be YouNick videos. No further introduction shall be required."
One thing no one knows about you
"Haven’t seen a single episode of FRIENDS. Please don’t hold that against me!"
To read the full interview, download the Social Ketchup Magazine here.