 Welcome everyone, we are back with our next episode of Lighten Up and this is Preetash Shri Padma, Features Editor of Entrepreneur India. As promised, this time we have someone very exciting, somebody you love. With over 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 2.4 million followers on Instagram, she legit rules the influencer universe. She creates amazing content. You love her, her comedy cracks you up like anything and now today we have Prajakta Kohli, also known as MostlySane on our Instagram Live with us and we are gonna have some insane chat with her so let's call her and make her join our live. Guys, she should be here anytime. I'm just gonna send her a request. You who have just joined us in our today's episode of Lighten Up, we have Prajakta Kohli. I am good, how are you? MostlySane is here. Can you hear me? But we like are losing you in between a little. Okay, hang on, I'm just gonna move a little bit closer to this side. Because of the crazy rains in Mumbai today, it's the network's just all over. Is this okay? Yeah, it's okay, it's a lot better. First of all, I am so excited to have you like this is a sixth episode and I'm excited to be with it, have a chat with you because I follow you personally on Instagram and dude, you are so relatable. I have sort of taken a little bit of a back seat with all the Instagram content that I used to do until about a month but we have been going a little bit slow because there's some other very exciting things that I'm working on. So hopefully but hi everybody, everyone who's joined us today. Hello, I see a lot of MostlySane fan pages also. Yeah, there are a lot of people. So guys, before we start with you know, connotation with her, jisko jo puchna hai, saare questions roll out karlo because in the end mein hum make sure karinge ki Prajakta saare questions answered karin. Perfect. So tell me Prajakta, like first let's start with your name, like MostlySane. Like it is something that is so unique. How do you come up with that name? It is so funny. I get this question so many times and I really don't have a good answer for this. It's so sad because it was literally one of the first things that I thought of and I was like chalo ye kar lete because you know, bohot loko mera naam bolne mein dikkath hoti hai, like Prajakta nahi bolpaate hai, like a lot. So I was like I don't want my channel to be called that because I know nobody is going to be able to say it properly. So that's why I was like mostly saying like that. I didn't know what it meant then and I was like chalo ko, like that was literally, there's no absolutely no thought put in that name whatsoever. So how does it feel? You are one of the biggest female digital creator in India. You were the only one who was invited by Marvel India for the collaboration plus you were part of WhatsApp initiative. You also interviewed the CEO of YouTube. So how has the whole journey been? It's been great. Honestly, I can only say that as a creator, I don't know how it is to be a female creator because I don't think I've ever done anything that has anything to do or do with the fact that I'm a girl. I mean, I absolutely enjoy being a creator and that's that. It feels great. I have immense gratitude towards my team, towards my audience that sort of has put me here. I mean, I could have dreamed all I wanted but if I didn't have that gets the vision or if I didn't have an audience that accepted me in the first place, I would just be sitting in my room dreaming. So it feels great. I mean, I didn't know that this was a scope. I didn't know that this was possible when I started making YouTube videos. So it's quite a surprise. So, you know, during lockdown, it's not changed, especially for everyone, not just creators. Even when you look at your personal aspect of life, we were like confined in the western cities of our home. We couldn't go out. So how did you make sure that whatever is your work, the content was not getting hampered because all of a sudden you were not really working on field with the team. So how did you manage all together and still make sure we were being entertained? Honestly speaking, this wasn't like shooting all my videos by myself or trying to edit by myself again, wasn't like a completely new thing also because as creators, when we start off, this is how all of us start off. When I started off five years ago, I used to shoot all my own videos, I used to edit all my own videos and that is how it was. By when this started, I was just like, okay, I am constantly in touch with my team. I mean, we are constantly talking, we have something in and out of calls, always all day to stay on track like that. So we've been, I mean, it's been a little, it started off really well. I can't hear you, in between you lost here. Can you still not hear me? No, I can hear you. Okay. So when I started, I was very worried because for me coming home was almost like finishing my work and then coming home. So for me, that was coming home. But then all the extra time that I suddenly had that I wasn't spending and traveling, you know, and suddenly I was spending time doing other things and so I think it went okay. You are a very big high potter fan. That is one thing I always know just from your stories. Oh, yeah. I had 15 minutes before this call because I got off another call and in those 15 minutes I have read like four pages, like I'm literally in throughout the day. I'll tell you what the obsession is. So I watched the first five movies. Okay. And then I stopped like I was a big Harry Potter fan when I was younger. So I watched the first five movies and then I stopped watching somehow. But there was this one thing I always wanted to do was one way to read the books. When I was younger, I couldn't afford to buy all the books. I mean, in my pocket money, I couldn't afford to buy all the books because I couldn't afford to buy all the books. I can't afford to buy any of the books. Yeah. I don't think that it really means that. Because you know when we were younger, Harry Potter books were like very expensive. So as much as I used to read from the school library, but that was also an age standard. After that, if you issue a Harry Potter book from the library, like what a child, why not reading famous five or why not reading Harry Potter? Then everyone judged me for reading Harry Potter age standards. So then I stopped. So on my birthday this year, Sadeep, who is one of my best friends and my colleague and we worked together, he got me the entire set and done. I said, no work will be done. So I finished watching all the movies and then I read, I think I read the first three books that I have finished watching the movies. Now I'm on my fifth book, which I want to finish this weekend. Let's see. I'm sure the way your speed is, you will be catching up with another book. So this is also the time project that a lot of people who want to be an influencer or want to try things, to be a creator have actually used this time to move towards their passion. So what are a few things you know because you have been here for a while now and you know how people work around. What are a few things you would like to say to people who look up to you, five things you would recommend them to do? Honestly, creator to creator, is there something then it's just that the only thing that's ever going to work is content. So don't compromise on content. Another lesson which I think I learn every week is that you will never get it right. Like there's not one way to do it. I think it's a, I think be open to learning, be open to change, be open to patterns that you didn't see coming. I mean, I keep going through these phases where I just feel that this is the only way for me to work and then suddenly that stops working so I have to try something new. And then I feel okay, this is the only way and then that stops working. So I feel like it's a constant process of evolution when you're a creator and that's the best part about it. So that's why you should compromise on content. I also feel that you know now is also the time when people because they are moving so much over the digital medium, at times we rip off someone's content and we don't realize that you know ripping off like, but when other people look it's like a proper rip off. So how would you tell them, you know to distinguish? Kiba, is inspiration and rip off not a difference? Rip off is unethical, is one of the biggest no knows as a creator. Can you hear me? Is everything working okay? Yeah, it's just that it's raining in Mumbai crazily even like at my side, I think the network issue will happen. It's crazy today. So yeah, I feel like there should always be this unspoken mutual respect that you have for another creator. Is what I think. I think as a creator, you need to primarily have mutual respect and because you understand the journey that everyone's gone through when you respect that. I think the basic thing is that inspiration is if you have your own personality in it. I mean if you take something inspired by someone and then you put yourself in it and make it a whole new product, then that's inspiration. But take something someone's done and then put it out. So Prajakta, you also made your acting debut. So how did it happen? And people have really really loved your acting. They have you know critically acclaimed the script and everything. So how did the project fall into place? When did you decide it was time for you to do a movie now and make your debut? You know, it wasn't a decision like that at all. I mean, we didn't Tarun sir who is the director and writer of Kyaali Pulau actually came to office. Sorry, I just keep getting calls. I'm so sorry. Okay, okay. So he came to office with the script and before we discussed anything, and I heard the story of Kyaali. Did you watch it though? Did you get a chance to watch it? I am going to watch it this weekend because my father is back and I have decided I'm going to sit and watch it with my family actually. Oh good, perfect. Please let me know what you think about it. I will. So when was the story, so I won't give out the story. I feel like I believed so much in the thought and the delivery of the thought more than the thought, I think. I think the beauty of that was unmatched. I never seen or read or heard of anything like that. So at that time I said I said I want to do this. I don't know how I do it because I was 26 then playing a 17-year-old school girl from Haryana where I have never been before. I don't have any friends who are from Haryana. I have never had any exposure. The closest I've been is Gulao. I remember telling the team I don't know how I'll pull it off but this is something that I want to do. So that is literally how it happened. But I must say that from the trailer that I have watched and I have read the comments that people are giving and especially a couple of reviews that went through, people are adoring the way you have just like you know got into the character, observed everything. They feel that you are the character. Talking about the time, this is also the time when hatred is at a different level on social media. Like there's no one who doesn't want to be a critic or judge. So you know especially I'm sure you come across it more than a lot of us do right because of the number of followers you have and because of the number of interactions you do. So how do you deal with criticism and the whole toll thing? I will tell you very honestly, touch wood. The army of supporters that stands very very strong between me and a hater. Is my biggest pride online right now. I'm not even kidding. I have said this you know I've said this everywhere. I mean I am just so fortunate to have an audience that is and you know if they were hating on the hater I would get it but it's not like that. They are not hating on others. They are not it's just it's just this very strong buffer that I have when I am online and I think which is why touch wood hate doesn't even surface. I'm not saying I don't get hate. I'm sure I do but it doesn't surface. It doesn't reach me most of the times because I have my feet is always full of wonderful gone and I'm not even trying to be this hyper positive person looking at the bright side of things. I'm not I'm putting it as it is very honestly. My feet is always flooded with comments and pictures and videos and montages and artwork and fan letters and things like that you know also because I follow all the fan pages that I know of all my fan pages that if there's like a new one I follow all of them. Is why I feel like you know it really really doesn't bother me. I'll not lie though it only bothered me twice. Once when I started off five five and a half years ago where I didn't expect it and very recently during lockdown for a very brief like for maybe a week less than a week even like three or four days suddenly there was a surgeon hate comments and I don't usually let that get to me but for some reason it did get to me and I feel like that was the last time it does I just because you know I feel like I have I have realized that there is nothing that comes out of it. I appreciate criticism and I appreciate people giving me constructive feedback because that helps me and that is one of the good things about a digital platform where your audience can be very honest with you but if it's baseless I've just realized that it's a royal waste of everybody's time so it doesn't really get to me. It's funny sometimes. So you know being a content creator also makes you an independent entrepreneur because you're dealing with so many brands so many collaborations and you know businesses on daily basis because they want to they want to partner with you so as an entrepreneur I want to find things that are always on top is like on top of your head when you want to collaborate with someone like follow. I think one thing always that I always keep in mind when there's a brand collab coming is that what does the team think? I want to sit down with the team and discuss it. It's usually the other way around it comes to me through the team okay Pranatha we have to do this how do we go about this? So like I was saying every time there's a brand collab I think the first thing that we do is that we sit down as a team and we choose what we want to do with it we try to brainstorm as too can is this a good integration we try to see what the brand stands for we try to see what the brand values are how can be integrated without it look like or TVC and all these things I think this is always number one but number the team. Number two is understanding what the brand expects I feel like having an open conversation with the brand is always great very clearly communicating what you can deliver and what the brand expects of you. Number three is making sure that content is not compromised I mean I'm not going to lie I have done those mistakes also where I have done a few pieces of content which were which were sponsored where I feel like I could have done a better job with content I feel like somewhere a little bit there my content got compromised and my viewers were very clear about it you know so I feel like making sure that the content is not compromised but at the same time what the brand wants is what the brand gets and I think just making sure that it's a fit you know because when you're a creator you're more than just a youtube channel or instagram name you know you are a personality that people relate to that people connect with that people like or dislike or either ways you know so this is there's a face to this personality that people recognize and as a person you have your likes you have your dislikes like for example tomorrow if I suddenly do a video saying okay guys I'm going to show you you know an everyday makeup look with this amazing highlighter that I'm trying to sell you my audience is going to be like but you don't wear makeup every day you know but instead if I take that and I say okay I have this product and I'm someone who does not understand makeup at all let's see if this product is easy to use and I use it and actually do a good job then that's like that's a more believable sort of setting you know that is more me that is more organic where people are like okay all right so it's the same product but I feel like the communication needs to be very very personal that's true I really think that you know a lot of especially upcoming influencers kind of get lost trying to do the product placement but I have seen you or for that matter you know Santoshi and other people also like Ranveer so you guys know what exactly you're putting out there so but then it's a right of passenger like unless you take you're never going to learn you're never going to know what works you know if you get it right you don't even know if you've gotten it right actually I still feel like you know every week I just still feel like you know maybe did I was this like is this word or no like it's just you never know if you've gotten it right it's always like a constant trial and error so talking about errors let's talk from your first video that you created till date what have you learned like how have you evolved as a person as a professional how have things changed for you I think I have learned to I know it sounds very cliche but one of the biggest lessons I have learned online is there's nothing as powerful as being unapologetically yourself you know it is very easy to put a face on it's always the easier option you choose to fit in or put a face on but remember when I started making content I used to have this weird accent like the minute the camera would come out out of nowhere I mean I've never been anywhere I used to I've never been good at makeup I don't know how to ever put makeup on my face but I remember I struggled with trying to put like makeup for every video when I started off I used to struggle to say things or make you know comment about things that I thought would make me look cool and then slowly I understood that this doesn't work and and then I was down to my bed hair and my pajamas and I saw that this is what really really works and that makes me happy the biggest change that has happened is I have absolutely loved being myself on camera or off like there is no sort of pretense there's not a day in my life as a theater when I wake up and I go somewhere and I have to put a face on you know it's and it's extremely liberating to be that I think that's very cool no like you can just be yourself you don't have to be something on screen and something off screen people love you I believe in why they can relate so much I feel very happy when I meet my viewers and they tell me to listen to you exactly how we thought you were going to be and I'm like you know because like I know that if I'm looking like so I don't like a couple of times this has happened when I've really looked up to someone and then I met them in person and then they were nothing like their online personality you know and I was like I'm like but I liked you you know I didn't know what happened like for example when I met Tajo right like in my head I had this image of Tajo that she talks a lot she's always happy she even with Yabana she's like very positive because that's how we have seen them right and like person both of them were exactly how I thought they were going to be and as a fan I was just like yes you know this is what I signed up for I'm glad that I wasn't cheated I remember watching your Vidya Balan video and like it was really super fun because you two had this whole vibe yeah and you know it's so crazy because this is exactly the vibe that we had when I met her for the first time so when Vishan Mangal had come out we had done like a Twitter live and I met her there and just like we hit it off immediately hit it off as in Chalo like but like there was nothing that's what I'm saying like I I always felt like she's super friendly and I would really get along with her and then I met her and that's exactly what happened like you know she's very warm and she's very friendly and she's very positive she's happy there's nothing like a happy person in the room so now you have started going to office because you have been posting your office stories also yeah I was like going back to your place after this whole lockdown for four months at home it was so good you know I'll I'll tell you I've not spoken about this but I absolutely love making writing content making content shooting I love acting you know I love being on camera um and I very in lockdown I realized that I like this because of a team like a you chunk of why I like this process is because my team has sort of just come together so well where I get to be me and create and not worry about technicalities like the camera angles and the lights and the sound and the focus and things that cardio and missing and the hard disk is not you know uh although I did all of that but I feel like my team has spoiled me so much but I am extremely comfortable in working around them so um the first few months went fine because like I said when I started off I used to shoot like that and I quite enjoyed it so I think uh the first few months went just fine when we were in the last I mean two or three weeks is when the whole shooting by myself sort of started getting to me and that's when I told you that you know when this all opens up I want to come to office once a week only so I can shoot a video everything else I can do myself you know I don't even want the whole thing I just want you around I just want you to be there um so it is definitely a very very refreshing change that's nice I just I just hope that we can finally go to office and even we are waiting for the office to get open I think you know being a journalist you are so used to like being on a desk and working and doing like everything out there interviewing and now all of a sudden when we have come to this whole new phase everything's from home all right so I'm gonna ask you questions about your fans I asked you so Sunidhi is asking do you think YouTube will emerge as a great career in the future hi Sunidhi I think yeah I think YouTube already is emerging as a great career I mean I feel like YouTube branches out to so many opportunities you know and overall I feel like digital digital platforms are massive massive career opportunities for sure your fans want you to say something in Marathi Marathi Marathi Marathi? You know Marathi Aya Maa My mother tongue is Marathi Marathi at home But um... What do you call him Marathi? I don't know I mean Marathi in my school Ms.Heathe. I think I can understand that's a good thing because you know who are speaking that's a compulsory subject you have Another person is asking that how do you make, how to increase your followers if you are stagnant at like a thousand followers? I think the only thing that is in your power as a creator is to keep creating content. You keep creating content. Listen to your audience. Ask them what they like what they don't like. They will be very honest with you because they are spending time on the content. So they will tell you what they like what they don't like. Try new things. Maybe what you are doing has come to a stagnant halt. Like it's reached stagnancy. So maybe trying new things try to break monotony. But the umbrella thought is that you have to keep creating content. There's nothing you can do to increase followers other than keep creating content. There's another question and the person wants to know that how do you find your niche? Because you at times get so confused and you think how do you know what's your niche? Again listen to your audience. I mean you know I feel like it's such a blessing to be a creator in a country like India where every few kilometers language, dialect, choices change. In every city, your neighbor could be consuming content that you never knew existed. And you could be watching someone who you think is a big deal. And you won't tell them and they'll like, we haven't seen this yet. So I feel like in a country like India there is consumption of anything and everything that you put out. I mean you will have an audience for whatever it is that you want to deliver. How to find out what is your niche? How to carve your niche is a consistency. One video or even sometimes 10 videos is not going to do it. You have to make those first 100 videos. You have to make those first 50 Instagram posts. You have to make those first 50 blog posts to even push the bar a little bit to break surface and reach your audience. So I feel like keep putting things out. Again, ask your audience. Listen, make sure you deliver to your target audience. For example, if you want to create say content that is about, I don't know, back to school. Like if you do, did I lose you again? No, no, no, no. Yeah, yeah. I know, I'm crazy. No, it's okay. Well, if you're making videos on back to school content and you find out that your YouTube analytics tells you that your major audience is between the age of 20 to 14, then you're knocking at the wrong door. So understand who's watching you. All go the other way. Make sure you create content for the target audience that you want. We have another question. We'll just take a couple of more questions. I'm sure you have other things to do as well. We have my book. Yes. All right. So it is actually related to Harry Potter this question. Oh, yeah. No, no, I was just saying I literally just want to finish my work asap and I want to make chai and I want to sit down with my book and with my chai at least for an hour and then I'll start working again. Well, you and I do have same plans. Once I'm done with this interview and filing a couple of my copies, I'm going to do the same thing. Achieve chai or book. Oh man, that's the best. Sorry. Yeah. So we have another question by a mostly sane for mostly sane. Mostly insane for mostly sane. So one of your fan page and they say, Tari, favorite character of Harry Potter Con. How to choose, yeah. I mean, we let go of Harry, Hermione and Ron because what to hate. But I really like Luna Lovegood. I really like Hagrid. I really like Mrs. Weasley. I quite like Bill Weasley. I think he's rather hot in the movies also. Who else do I like? Oh, I love serious. I love Serious Black. I love Lupin. I love Nimit Chhora. Everybody. Yeah, everyone. Everyone. You can't choose. There's not one person you like. The whole universe is why you get hooked. I was just about to say that list is long. It's been a long time and then all the characters are coming. Right. Okay. Because we know that you have been working out every morning and you have this caption. You put every day good pee. So here is a question. Yeah, good job. Here you have another question. How from a post simple life. How can you be so determined in doing your exercise every day with so much hard work? You know, I honestly. I have seen what happens after the exercise. Like, I know how it feels after I've worked out. Trust me, I'm 27. For 26 years of my life. I have never worked out. I didn't enjoy the process. It never came to me from my heart. Maybe I see how they do it. I can't. Like, you know, I really can't. I used to try. I tried so many things. But I think yoga changed that for me. When I started doing yoga. Because in your mind you think yoga is slow. Takes too long. But I used to do like 30 minute yoga workshop, workout routines when this year started. And I remember I used to feel such an adrenaline rush at the end of it. And then I did it for a week or two weeks. And then when you start working out, when you start sweating. When you start eating good. When you start drinking lots of water. I feel like your body reacts very quickly. So you can very distinctly tell and study your moods and your productivity. On a day when you've not worked out and on a day when you've worked out. And Ranveer told me this a long time ago. When I went for lunch, he told me that he was a worker. So I told him about you know I sometimes feel like I'm blocked. And I want to try new things. So he's like just start doing yoga. Start meditating. Start working out. Work out for 20 minutes. Do something in your body. And when you see that happening. That is your high. So I feel like that is my motivation. Because I know that if I don't work out my entire day. But if I do. Then I'll get more things done. Okay guys. So everyone knows what motivation mantra is. I think it's very important to work out. Because I think yoga also pushes you towards being more calmer. Finding more peace. Like when I do Surya Namaskar. That's what I feel. Yeah yeah. Oh for sure. At first I used to do Surya Namaskar. But now I play some nice yoga. Calming music also. In the background. And it's a nice trance that you go in. It's nice to take one hour out. From your day. When you're not on your phone. Or on your laptop. Or reading. Or talking. Or watching something. You know. Just half an hour. One hour. It's nice to just. It's fun. So before we end this conversation. A very important question. Is that. What are you doing next. And who is Prajakta Kohli. Apart from what we know. What am I doing next. We have a Netflix release coming up. Very soon. We did a show for Netflix. It's called mismatched. It's going to release this year. I am not allowed to talk about when it's going to release. It's going to be soon. I'm very excited about that. Again. There are two three things. Two things actually that I'm working on. Which is again. Out of my comfort zone. But still very exciting. So. I don't think we'll talk about them. This year. I think we'll talk about them next year. Or I don't know. Maybe one of. So we'll have you again next year with us. Talking about your latest release. For sure. For sure. And how is Prajakta Kohli. Other than what you see. I feel like. Like I said. There's nothing different. It's just that. I have my days of. You know. Blah days. When I don't feel like doing anything. And I just feel like. Sitting and reading. Not taking a shower. Just eating whatever I want to. And I have my four days. And I have days when. I am great. But it's pretty much the same. As it is online. There isn't. Nothing that. I have. Other. Than what you've seen. That. That's the whole deal. So guys. That was your mostly seen. Amazing Prajakta Kohli. On our episode today. Thank you so much for joining us. It was. Thank Chad. No. Thank you for having me. And thank you to everybody who joined. I'm sorry. I didn't wear glasses. So I have to do something like this. Everything. But. All the fan clubs. And all the other people. Just here. Hi everybody. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I will drop off. Message you after this chat. And. Continue the discussion. For sure. Bye bye. Have a great day. Hi everybody. Thank you. That was Prajakta Kohli. I'm sure you guys had a punch up. Because I did. Just as she calls herself mostly seen. Let me say it was one of the. Insane episodes we have had till now. Where we spoke about believing in yourself. Making mistakes. And how to actually create good content. Next week. We want to have someone very amazing. Again. And next week. We are also going to talk about some controversies. And conspiracy theories. Till then think who is with us in the next episode. And have a great weekend. We will see you again on Friday. At 4. Bye bye. Have a great day.