Creator of the Month - Harshita Gupta

Harshita Gupta is a multifaceted artist who started her journey as an RJ and is now one of India’s most loved female comedy content creators. She has an active and engaging online community of about 1 million users who believe in her way of life.

Exhibit: How did your journey as a comedy content creator begin, and what inspired you to start creating content on social media platforms, especially Instagram?

Harshita: So, it was a forced decision. I was a radio jockey, and back then, in 2016 -2017, a digital wave came, and my boss came to me and said that I now had to start making videos. I was very uncomfortable in front of the camera. I didn’t know how to write or shoot a video. How am I supposed to shoot a video when I’m a radio jockey? I can’t be a video jockey. But as a part of, you know, he made this whole video shooting thing as a part of my KRA, my appraisal dependent on the kind of videos I shoot, the numbers I have on Instagram. So, it started very forcefully, but it is the best thing that has happened to me, like one of the best things that has happened to me in my lifetime.

Exhibit: Being a content creator, what challenges did you face initially, and how did you overcome them to build a substantial following?

Harshita: Basically, as a creator, every creator has this whole creative blockage because you have to create content almost every day of your life and come up with a different topic every day, something unimaginable for many people. I have been doing it for more than six years, and creative blockage is something I have cracked how to deal with. I don’t try, I don’t push myself, I don’t pressurise myself, I put a stop, and I relax. I relax until I can actually get something organic by observing things around me because I do a lot of observational comedy. The first time when I had this creative blockage, I had an anxiety attack because creating content has become my bread and butter, but then gradually, with time, I’ve learned how to deal with it.

Exhibit: What do you think sets you apart from other content creators, and how do you engage with your audience?

Harshita: I don’t know about other content creators because the only content I consume on Instagram is cooking reels. I love watching them, be it day or night; cooking reels are the most soothing reels on Instagram. I make real-time content, making exactly the situation that’s been going on in my life. For example, I’ll make a breakup content if I’m going through a breakup. I think thats one of the USPs of me as a content creator.

Exhibit: Can you share a memorable moment or milestone in your content creation journey that stands out for you?

Harshita: Yes, one is when I hit a million followers on Instagram because I waited for six years for this moment. So yeah, when I touched a million, I don’t know, I started crying, and I don’t know. Seeing that “K” goes to “M” because I’ve been waiting for six and a half years was surreal. Secondly, when I was nominated as a comic of the year for the Cosmopolitan Awards, that was one time when I felt thrilled, as it was the first time I ever attended an award show in my life.

Exhibit: Your Instagram feed is full of incredibly done comedy sketches. Can you give us some insights into how you come up with such hilarious ideas?

Harshita: Observation. Observation, observation, observation. I do not try to think of something beyond my life, as in something that’s not something that I’ve experienced, because my content depends on the observation that I do around myself. It can be my life, it can be my friend’s life, it can be my parent’s life, or it can be my brother’s life. So, earlier, when I used to meet people, I also used to tell them that they might turn into content someday.

Exhibit: You’ve worked with several brands over the years. Can you tell us about some of the most memorable collaborations and campaigns you’ve been a part of?

Harshita: Yes, I have recently worked with one of the tea brands and collaborated with this celebrity. I am not allowed to name that person at the moment. But I think that was one of my life’s most beautiful shoots because she’s a fantastic person. We brainstormed, improvised the script, and worked on that ad as a team; I loved it. I love it when actors are open to improvisation. I love when actors are open to humour, you know, rather than just sticking to the script.

Exhibit: As someone who has gained popularity in the digital space, how do you balance your online and offline life?

Harshita: Honestly, my offline life is as essential as my online life, and when I have to switch or when I have to choose between my online life and offline life, I do that very intelligently. For instance, during my wedding days, I was not too much on Instagram, and I don’t even regret it. I always try to be in the moment, be it when spending time with my husband, family or friends.

Exhibit: Lastly, what advice would you give someone who loves creating content and wants to become a content creator?

Harshita: Keep making and keep creating content. Consistency is the key, and more than consistency, it’s the content that you’re making. So consistency, content, and not caring about what people will say is the key. Be as original as you can because social media or the internet is one place where you cannot fake for long.