KNZ NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR : Sadat Rashid (popularly known as Bakus) started his YouTube channel in 2017 when he was just 16. He started with live streaming online games like Clash of Clans. However, the initiative was not well received and it fetched him a small fan base of just three thousand followers for the next two years.
Since Sadat ardently followed BB Ki Vines and Ashish Chanchlani- You Tube sensations in India, their content inspired him so much that he started creating his own content on their lines. This changed his fortunes. The popularity of his YouTube channel- ‘Bakus’ surged so much that today he has thousands of followers on his various social media platforms. The channel has now become a household name here in Kashmir.
“I started my YouTube channel in 2017. Initially I streamed online games. Later I got inspired with ‘BB Ki Vines’ and tried to create content akin to him. I expanded my content beyond games and included roasts, vines and Vlogs,” Sadat said.
At the age of 19, Sadat is currently one of the highest paid YouTubers from the valley.
Sadat rose to fame with his roast videos and satirical parodies. He lured his local audience with his “typical” dialect.
Initially I used Urdu in my videos, but many times I used to shift to Kashmiri language, which surprisingly broadened my reach. People now find my video more relatable,” says Sadat.
This multi-talented 19-year-old teenager, besides writing his own scripts, also edits his videos. He is currently running two YouTube channels named ‘Bakus’ and ‘Bakus Gindaan’.
There is a lot of diversity in his content with the scripts ranging from roasts to social messages.
Talking about his channels Sadat said, “I try to create a space for the people to escape from the harsh realities of life. I want to be a reason for people to feel happy even for a couple of minutes.”
Sadat’s recent roast series of district development council (DDC) candidates received a huge response from the locals and got over two million views.
Talking about how difficult roasting is in a society which is predominantly conservative, Sadat said, “It’s very difficult because roasting has never been a part of our culture. People here find it very hard to understand the basic idea of roasting and hence feel attacked. People should take it as just another form of entertainment.”
Sadat’s YouTube channel has now crossed over 220k subscribers, with more than 11 million views.
“I never thought of my audience getting this big. I feel it’s all because of the hard work that I’ve done to improve my content,” Sadat said.
The teenager earns about 50-80 thousands per month from his channels, but still does not consider it as a profession.
“Online platforms are constantly evolving and one needs to be very adaptive to remain relevant. Though I earn a handsome amount, I still don’t take it as a career. To me this is a hobby and I’ll try to continue it that way,” Sadat said.
With low speed and frequent internet snaps, Kashmir is not a favorable place for YouTubers like Sadat.
“Majority of my audience is based in Kashmir. So as we are witnessing a 4g ban since a year now it obviously has affected my reach. Moreover YouTube algorithm plays in to reduce our reach when we get fewer amount of views,” Sadat said.
Belonging to central Kashmir’s district Budgam, Sadat recently completed his secondary education from a public school in his hometown. He is good in academics also and likes to take part in co-curricular activities.
