HYDERABAD : Kota Revathi Reddy loves thorns, brickbats and trolls and there is a reason. She says that her detractors have made her grow in her career. She is used to waking up in the morning to read comments like ‘Entakka ila pichi gantulu vestunnav (why are you jumping like a crazy person) or ‘nee moham addamlo choosukunnava (did you ever dare to check yourself out in the mirror) or other such offensive comments. Yet, this Instagrammer @revathi_theofficialstar has risen beyond such comments to produce content which she says she is proud of.
Revathi, a resident of Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad, has been criticised for her so-called ‘cringe videos’ but her following in social media seems to defy such comments. Today she enjoys a following of 66K in Instagram and has recently landed a part in Extra Jabardasth in ETV for the Sankranthi Special show. “Getting a professional production house like Mallemala Productions to approach me for a TV show like this means validation to my talent,” she states.
She is looking forward to seeing herself onscreen in the show hosted by top TV anchor Rashmi Gautam and actor-politician Roja Selvamani as the celebrity judge. Originally from Vijayawada, Revathi is not a random youngster desperate to get her 15 minutes of fame. She is a 2013 pass out from a city engineering college. She was active in the cultural programmes in her campus and since 2013, she has been acting in videos ‘for timepass’. “I am an SEO analyst and a content writer and I used to make dance videos on weekends and upload them on YouTube and Instagram.
In 2018, I did my own dance version of Daari Choodu song from Nani’s Krishnarjuna Yuddam, a folk song and it went viral. In fact there were jokes and memes on it. Trolls shared it with mean comments, but good for me, the video went viral. Thank god for trolls. They can make anyone famous. I did not feel offended by their comments but just kept at my job of uploading videos. In fact, in one day I earned 5,000 followers in social media. It meant that people do watch content that is different. While many criticise me for my moves, it doesn’t bother me. I dance my heart out.
It’s my channel and I will upload what I want. They can stop watching me,” says Revathi. A year ago she even had some thugs calling her up and asking her to delete some content as they felt it was ‘terrible and offensive. “I also have fans who love me for my don’t care attitude,” says Revathi who learned dance for a year. Interestingly, Revathi speaks with a different accent and modulation and Hyderabadis are going all out to pay her to say greetings in her own style to their friends on their birthdays.
“Initially it started as fun. I had my fans asking me to wish their friends via a small 20 second video and today they are even paying me for it. On an average day, I send out about 15 greetings for a few hundred rupees per person. I record a personalised video with birthday or anniversary greetings and post it. It gets thousands of views. They are happy and so am I,” she adds. Revathi says that many criticised her for ‘commercialising’ even birthday greetings which should come from the heart.
“When you can buy your friend a greeting card or a gift, why not a birthday video. I love doing it and also earning,” says this bindas 28-year-old who has over 25 fan pages on various social media. Now, Revathi has turned into an entertainer fulltime and she says she earns over a lakh via her Youtube channel titled Revathi Kha Adda.
“I used to earn Rs 25,000 in my previous job, but manage to earn four times of that with my videos,” she informs while adding that her happiest moment has been when Tollywood actors like Samantha Akkineni, Anupama Parameswaran and Sai Dharam Tej have told her that they have seen her videos and love her work. Revathi has recently bought her own apartment and a bike and says that her parents are super happy the way her career has shaped up. What’s her mantra in life. “Don’t care. Do what you love to do. That’s all.’
Revathi Reddy, aka Revathakka on YouTube, has been the trolls’ darling on Telugu social media for her bindass, ‘I-dont-care-what-you-think’ content. Her attitude has actually made her a star on social media and has earned her an appearance in a popular comedy TV shows. Plus she also started the trend of paid greetings on social networks
— Manju Latha Kalanidhi kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com @mkalanidhi