Comedian and Youtuber Ashish Chanchlani, who is known for his YouTube channel, ‘Ashish Chanchlani Vines’, got on the video-sharing platform in 2009. In 2014, his 36 second video, “How to annoy people who say “Tu mere baap ko jaanta hai?”, went viral overnight. Ashish’s latest video ‘Final Exams’, garnered more than 80 lakh views in less than 24 hours.
Apart from making comedy skits and entertaining his fans, Chanchlani was quite impressive in his web series debut, ‘Class of 2017’ on ALTBalaji.
He recently donned the director’s hat for a short horror film, ‘Aakhri Safar’, starring Deepak Sampat, Akshata Sonawane and himself.
In an interview with Metrolife, the YouTuber throws light on starting his channel, challenges of doing comedy and more.
You have an engineering background. What made you start a YouTube channel, that too, of a comedy genre?
I always wanted to become an actor, but my parents always taught me to be practical. So, I gave up my dream and pursued civil engineering. It was in college that I found the Vine app. I started making comedy videos to entertain people. It gained popularity over time and eventually became a YouTube channel.
You have completed a decade in this space. How have things changed?
A lot has changed in the last five years. The internet has become a more fun place because of memes. I remember it all started with derp memes. Then came short videos depicting day-to-day life, which was a game changer.
One thing about YouTubers that annoys you?
Nothing annoys me about them. I think all my YouTube colleagues are doing fabulous and creating amazing content!
You have established yourself in the field of comedy with a whopping 1 crore subscriber-base. What is the most difficult part about comedy skits and addressing a virtual audience?
I think comedy is one of the most difficult things to do. One aspect that I always pay attention to is including natural improvisation in the videos. Comedy should come from the heart and not just some dialogue. Even if the joke is lame, if it’s said with the right feel and fun, it will sound hilarious to a lot of people. Usually the comedies we love, be it movies or skits, are mostly improvisations.
Any plans of coming back to acting in web series?
Honestly, I was not even 10 per cent of myself during the time I did that show. It was just an opportunity I got when I started getting a little fame. I think I did not do justice to my role. If I get a chance in a web series or a movie now, I would love to act and show my acting skills.
Tell us about ‘Aakhri Safar’? How come you shifted to horror genre?
After a series of funny videos, I wanted to try my hand at a different genre; something that was challenging but surprising; and I think horror was the perfect fit. Horror-comedy is one of my most favourite combos because it’s scary but relatable to a lot of people.
Future endeavours that you can talk about?
Right now I am just waiting for the right opportunity to knock on my door. I haven’t planned anything for my future. I love to go with my gut feeling. By the blessing of my supporters, I may get to work in a movie one day. Who knows!