BENGALURU: The pandemic has seen many people ‘redefining’ themselves. One such is actor Ashish Vidyarthi who, in the new normal, is experimenting with life. Vidyarthi, who recently travelled to Bengaluru from Sakleshpur, has added a new feather to his cap as a vlogger and is out there to discover the ‘spirit of life’.
One glance at the comments’ section of his vlog videos, and you will often find his viewers noting that he is racing ahead of new-age vloggers. However, Vidyarthi believes that he is also learning a lot from young vloggers because he is new to this space. Thanks to the lockdown due to the pandemic, Vidyarthi has been looking at everyday life through a new lens. And this has led to his interest in vlogging since November last year.
“I realised life is happening en route. I want to tell the story of my life, the people I meet, and the moments I share with them. There is so much ordinariness around that we tend to ignore. When I take a pause, I discover the extraordinary in the ordinary. Those are the stories that I want to tell. At 56, I enjoy being restless,” says Vidyarthi, who has acted in 11 languages and is also a motivational speaker.
In Bengaluru, Vidyarthi also broke bread with Kripal Ammana, who he often ‘looked up to’ as a vlogger. What also united them was their hunger to savour some of Bengaluru’s traditional ‘ragi mudde’. “Having the entire spread of the ragi ball meal was an absolute delight. The fun part is when you share what you love with others. Technology has allowed me to express myself in ways I never thought I could,” says Vidyarthi, adding, “Earlier, I used to look at travel as work, but then I realised that I work so that I can travel. I now find reasons to travel. Every four or five days I love to wake up to a new place.”
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From baking pizzas to brewing coffee for the first time and even trying to make a dosae, his vlogging journey has made him push many boundaries. From Palakkad to Guntur and
Chennai, Vidyarthi’s love for local tourism has come with many takeaways. “I push myself to try out something new. Some of them are funny and some rewarding. Cooking is one of those. Whether it is flipping the dosae or mastering the art of making coffee.. it has been so much fun. I also discovered the three-layered coffee in Mangaluru and some unknown travel spots in Sakleshpur,” says Vidyarthi, who, during his visit to Chennai learnt that Chicken 65 was first invented at an eatery there.
Vidyarthi has also recently started a podcast series which is based on horror stories. Titled Kahaani Khatarnaak Goi, the stories are narrated by Vidyarthi himself and delves into the dark and horrific side of things. The podcast started a fortnight ago on YouTube and is out with two episodes, “I hate scary stories because I get scared very easily. But I felt people like such stories. The idea is to make people shut their eyes, plug in their earphones and excite them with some horror tales,” says Vidyarthi, who is juggling work and vlogging right now, and is also working on a podcast themed on alternate career options.
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You can catch Ashish Vidyarthi's vlogs on 'Ashish Vidyarthi Actor Vlogs,' YouTube channel.