Exclusive: Creator Niharika NM On Her Cannes Debut And Award, The Influencer Life, And Transitioning To Bollywood
For every time when my mom asks, “what’s keeping you busy on the internet or precisely Instagram,” I’d always hand her over a list of some shining stars on my Insta-watchlist, who indeed have made my quick travel plans to the reels section, a delightful one. And guess what, seconds after I tell her the names, she’s sending me three more videos from those accounts, declaring they’ve found a new fan in her. Amongst the many creators who have taken the digital space by storm, 24-year-old Niharika NM feels like a best friend (or a macha) you always needed. From relatable stories to telling us the tale of ‘Living Alone 101,’ Niharika made well-upyog of her time at home during the lockdown, to churn out some amazing content for her audience.
And now, she leads a family of over 3.1+ million followers across all social media platforms. Sharing her journey so far, and her Cinderella moment at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year, Niharika talks about her favourite content creator, the road to Bollywood, her star-struck moment and a lot more.
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Q: You just won ‘Youth Icon-Entertainer of the Year’ at the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards. What was the experience like? It was also your debut at the Cannes Film Festival, was it in any way daunting?
Niharika: It was terrifying for me to be at Cannes because I’m not a fashion girl, but rather a comedy entertainment girl. So it was terrifying, but on the day I had to walk the red carpet, I felt stunning. I had my little princess moment, and to top it all off, I was named ‘Youth Icon – Entertainer of the Year,’ which still seems surreal to me, but for which I am eternally grateful. All of these bucket list items that I thought would take decades to complete are now happening, and I’m just taking it all in one milestone at a time, feeling nothing but gratitude.
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Q: As you said it was your ‘Cinderella Moment At Cannes’ how did you pick your dress for the D-day? What went into curating the look? Was there any kind of pressure to meet certain expectations?
Niharika: I was freaking out about everything because I didn’t know what I was supposed to wear. Anisha Jain, our beautiful stylist, did all of the work behind the dress, and she put me in that beautiful dress. I tried on ten different outfits before settling on this one, and it felt like I was getting married or something because this was the closest I’d get to wear a wedding gown anytime soon, so it was an incredible moment for me to find that dress, but it was mostly Anisha.
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Q: Can you define your personal style for us? And if you could keep a dress code for every big event, for instance, the World Influencer And Blogger Awards, what would that be?
Niharika: Anything comfortable is my personal style. I mostly wear joggers, a crop top, and boots. So, if I could keep a dress code, it would definitely be sweatpants and a hoodie so that no one feels obligated to dress up.
Q: Tell us the name of that one celebrity who messaged you after seeing your content and you did a little happy dance.
Niharika: I think I did a happy dance for the majority of the celebs who messaged me, but I think I freaked out a little bit when Samantha Prabhu messaged me because I genuinely love her.
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Q: Influencers have become an integral part of even the marketing cycle of a movie. What are the pressures that come your way then? Do you have to then also filter the script and make sure of all the angles and if they are politically correct?
Niharika: Yes, making a video with a celebrity can be intimidating, especially if they are doing something like this for the first time because you need to showcase them in a certain light and you can’t push your boundaries too much, especially with comedy, to avoid being disrespectful. As a result, I sometimes had to draw the line in terms of the script.
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Q: How do you interact and make sure you’re connected with your audience?
Niharika: In my direct messages or in the comments section, I am constantly responding to my audience. I used to have a spam account, but I’m now logged out and need to figure out how to log back in. But I try to respond to all of my DMs because I enjoy talking with them and they are so funny and sarcastic, and we have a friendly relationship.
Q: Bust a myth about the ‘Influencer Life’ for our readers.
Niharika: The one myth I believe about influencers is that they are always happy and live this amazing life. No, you should not believe everything you read on social media. You are only shown a curated highlight reel of each influencer’s life. 99 percent of influencers do not open up about their personal struggles. So don’t make any comparisons.
Q: Most of your content has instances and slang relatable to southern India. How do you make sure the content remains relevant and equally relatable to every kind of viewer and doesn’t fall under the niche category?
Niharika: I believe that the concept of being relatable to southern India has shifted and that it is now simply relatable to India, just as South Indian cinema is Indian cinema. I just think that because of the OTT boom and exposure to different cultures and languages, most of the references are understood by everyone. This has now stopped categorising me, and I’m just making reels that everyone can relate to.
Q: Being a content creator, how often is it that you experience a creative block? And with brand partnerships and deadlines, how do you then manage to serve the right content while being creatively satisfied as well?
Niharika: I believe I have creative blocks every other hour and must force myself out of them. Mostly because I try to write 3-4 scripts per day and end up exhausted. When that happens, I just take a step back, try to regroup everything, do some relaxing exercise, call a friend or family member, spitball ideas with them, and bounce ideas off each other, and that helps me break through my block. In terms of brands, I have this strange obsession with making any video I make with a brand outstanding. Brand collaborations satisfy me creatively 90% of the time. The 100% is only when the brand is cooperative and trusts me enough to do what I do.
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Q: People today get offended about anything and everything. Is there a way you make sure that a joke doesn’t hurt any cultural sentiment? What’s the one thing you’ll never make a joke about?
Niharika: I’m aware that anything and everything can offend someone on the Internet. I stay true to my personal experiences and the type of comedy I create. I draw from my own experiences, so if you are offended by mine, I believe you have a problem. So I just try to stick to what I know. My material is entirely based on observational comedy. 90% of my scripts are inspired by observations I make. My content is experiential rather than religious or cultural. I don’t think I’ll ever make those kinds of jokes.
Q: What’s the next move? Like how creators are now transitioning from the digital space to Bollywood, what’s next for you?
Niharika: Well, now that I am making Bollywood and Tollywood stars transition to digital stars, maybe I’ll transition too but for now I’m just keeping all my options open and I’m just truly, truly trying to own the digital space and possibly hopefully be the best at what I do in the digital space and then maybe move on to bigger different things.
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Q: Who is your favourite creator or someone whose work makes frequent visits to your group chats?
Niharika: Bretman Rock and Liza Koshy, I am obsessed. Liza Koshy used to be my profile picture on WhatsApp and Bretman Rock’s stickers and gifs are my love language.
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Also Read: Here Are 7 Hilarious And Relatable People To know On Instagram For When You Need A Good Laugh
Q: What is a day in the life of a content creator like? With so much love and at times hate on the internet coming your way, how do you make sure to take care of your mental health?
Niharika: I believe that every content creator’s day is unique. When I’m in India, I’m usually waking up with my mother vigorously shaking me and telling me it’s 9 a.m., but since I’ve returned, I’ve mostly been at airports. I’m on set 90% of the time, shooting. When I’m not shooting, I’m writing or editing. I only get 4 to 5 hours of sleep per day because I am not in control. I believe that working 40 hours per week is not something to be proud of, and it can be stressful at times, but because you are your own boss, you can take a week off without being asked.
Being an Influencer is similar to being an entrepreneur in that no one will tell you what to do. It can become overwhelming at times, but when my mental health suffers, I take a step back and turn off my phone. I try not to use the internet and instead meditate for a few minutes, talk to my family and friends, and remind myself that I started this because I enjoy it, so what other people think doesn’t matter.
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Image Credits: Instagram
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