Young and famous: Anantya, 8, strikes a pose while her uncle, Vikram, captures it on camera | Aayush Goel
It is 3pm and Anantya Anand, 8, has just returned from school. She quickly grabs a bite and changes into a canary yellow off-shoulder top and denim shorts. A multi-hued sack and golden reflectors complete the look. She then goes to the basement of the apartment in Noida, which has been converted into a set. Her uncle Vikram Choudhary is waiting for her with his professional camera.
Anantya is shooting the lookbook of a kidswear brand that would be incorporated in the next vlog (video blog) on her YouTube channel ‘My Miss Anand’, which has more than 60,000 subscribers. “I enjoy doing it. All my school friends call me ‘the YouTuber girl’,” says Anantya, before she runs off to do her homework.
Once Anantya leaves, Vikram and his cousin Pankaj Topwal quickly change the set. A plastic stool and table are kept in the centre of the room. In the background, the white wall is adorned with bunches of bright-hued artificial flowers. An ornamental white table is placed against the wall and a decorative birdcage is kept on top of it.
Once the set is ready and the lights are in position, Shruti Anand, 31, walks in to film a fresh episode for her YouTube channel ‘Shruti Arjun Anand’ that has more than eight lakh followers. She gives do-it-yourself make-up, fashion and hairstyling tips.
Vlogging is quite popular in the west. In fact, a lot of vlog stars are approached by brands to endorse their products on their channel. Recently, Indian-origin Canadian YouTube star Lilly Singh—who has more than 11.9 million subscribers—was appointed UNICEF’s global goodwill ambassador.
Apart from Anantya’s channel, the family has six other channels that cover subjects ranging from beauty, cooking, home remedies and mehndi designs. The men mostly take care of back-end operations—camera work, post-production, editing, brand engagements and communication. “Collectively, our channels get about 25 to 30 million views in a month,” says Shruti, who is Anantya’s aunt and the biggest star in the family.
Shruti and her husband, Arjun Anand, are co-directors of Shruti Make-up and Beauty Pvt Ltd that makes these vlogs. Shruti started blogging in 2011 after the couple moved to the US. Shruti had a hard time making new friends, so she turned to the internet. “I was getting bored and feeling homesick. So, I started vlogging in the hope of making some online friends,” says Shruti, who not only made new friends, but also found a dedicated following for her vlog. By 2013, the number of subscribers to her YouTube channel touched 50,000. The couple moved to India, but Shruti continued vlogging. Last year, when the subscription crossed one lakh, Arjun quit his job and started working with Shruti full-time.
Initially, Shruti used to demonstrate different hairstyles on Anantya, who was not camera-shy. But the positive comments they got for Anantya prompted them to start a separate channel for her. Soon, Nisha, Anantya’s mother, too, made her debut in the virtual world with a cooking show. Then Nisha’s cousin Priya started a channel on home remedies.
So, how do they make money? “The number of views get translated into advertisements, for which YouTube charges the companies,” explains Shruti. “We get 40 per cent and the rest goes to YouTube. In-vlog product placements also rake in good money.”
Although Arjun is reluctant to give an exact figure, he says he doesn’t miss his fat corporate package. Initially, they worked from their home in Noida. But since both work and team have grown, they have taken an apartment on rent.
Apart from a couch, a shaggy rug and a four-seater dining table, there is nothing else in the lounge. The basement works as a makeshift studio and is stacked with props like feather boas, tripods, mirror, make-up brushes and mink blankets of different colours that work as the background for sets. “Largely, the working environment is fun, as we are a family,” says Pankaj, who left his job in the automobiles sector to join the team. “We do have differences of opinion, but it gets resolved quickly like it happens at home.”
Sometimes, they shoot and upload the video of a family event. “We get an invite much ahead of other family members,” says Shruti. “We often get requests from the extended family to cover a wedding and upload it on our channel.” How do they maintain a work-life balance? “It is difficult and we are still figuring it out. Even when we are having our morning tea the conversation starts with ‘what are we going to shoot today?’” says Arjun, who plans to open a chain of salons and launch a line of beauty products. “But we love what we do and do what we love. So it doesn’t feel like work.”
