Gone are the days when you used to watch your favourite celebrity only on television or on the big screen. There’s YouTube now and a large number of showbiz personalities have their own channels on the video
platform. From Farah Khan to Bharti Singh, Archana Puran Singh and Dipika Kakar; several stars share daily updates with their fans via their YouTube channels. But why are celebrities becoming YouTubers? What is the real reason behind this major shift? Let’s find out.
Why Are Celebrities Starting YouTube Channels?
One of the other reasons why celebrities today are starting their own YouTube channels is because of the creative freedom they get. For a YouTuber, there isn’t any producer, director, script or censorship pressure. One records what one feels like. That’s it. This means that YouTube channels give actors freedom and direct control over the narrative.
Besides this, it should also be noted that YouTube vlogs give celebrities space to establish a direct connection with their fans. Vlogs show stars’ real life, family, homes and food habits – something that fans in India really look up to. This builds stronger and longer-lasting engagement than films or TV.
It would not be wrong to say that YouTube has become the new TV channel owned by the celebrities themselves.
How Much Do Actors Earn From YouTube?
One of the biggest reasons behind this shift is the income that people generate via YouTube. While no official numbers have ever been confirmed, in one of his recent podcasts, Ranveer Allahbadia was speaking to Farah Khan, when he told her that she is the highest-earning YouTuber in India. In fact, in one of her vlogs, Farah had also revealed that her YouTube income is so huge that she hadn’t made that much even in some years of her film career. Her digital earnings have reportedly surpassed her blockbuster film Om Shanti Om’s income of Rs 300 crore. It should be noted that Farah’s YouTube channel has over 2.38 million subscribers.
Actor Parmeet Sethi, who also runs a YouTube channel with his wife Archana Puran Singh, once stated that YouTube content can earn “premium throughout life” unlike films or television, where one is paid only once. “If we decide to make this our full-time career, it’ll pay us at least three times more than what films and television together pay us,” Sethi told Pinkvilla.
Even Archana Puran Singh, with 12 lakh subscribers on her YouTube channel, once revealed that her estimated earnings from the platform is over Rs 50 lakh per year.
Bharti Singh, who runs the channel ‘LOL’, had also once revealed that 40 per cent of her total income comes from YouTube. This is huge for someone already earning from TV and live shows.
Top YouTube Channels By Celebrities
Farah Khan’s YouTube channel has over 2.7 million subscribers. Her cooking, celeb chat channel has also made her cook, Dilip, a popular name.
Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa also run ‘LOL (Life of Limbachiyaa’s)’ on YouTube. They have close to 9 million subscribers.
Dipika Kakar may be away from television for the longest time but she shares updates about her life via her vlog, Dipika Ki Duniya, which has 4 million subscribers. Her husband, actor Shoaib Ibrahim, also has 3.7 million followers on YouTube.
Archana Puran Singh’s AAAP Ka Parivaar has 1.2 million followers on YouTube. She also has another channel in her name with another 1.2 million subscribers.
Among others, Aly Goni, Jasmin Bhasin and Rubina Dilaik also run successful YouTube channels.
