HYDERABAD : Ask any young adult in Hyderabad if they’ve heard of Sejal Kumar and chances are they will tell you a zillion things about this digital creator with 1.8 million subscribers.
Known to be a social influencer thank to her following across social media, Sejal will be visiting Hyderabad for InfluencerCon, an event bringing together digital content creators, brands, agencies and platforms to network and learn from each other at Novotel HICC on November 22 and 23.
The non-profit event is partly funded by the Telangana Government as part of IndiaJoy Festival which is bringing together well-known digital entertainment-focused events such as IGDC (India Game Developer Conference), ESL eSports events, Desitoonz, OTT Pulse, VFXSummit and InfluencerCon. She is among the 40+ speakers who will be talking to the audience or taking part in panel sessions.
Says Sejal, "I started making Youtube content in 2014 while in college. I’ve always stood strong for pursuing what you like and not being afraid to be out of the box. I did it with pursuing YouTube and now I’m diversifying as I go! Started with fashion, now I’m acting in a Netflix show, singing, dancing and talking about ‘taboo’ issues with my series ‘Mom & Me’. I want to encourage people to not be afraid of doing the ‘wrong thing’ and be proud of their choices!"
In an interview with City Express, she tells us more about her work. Excerpts:
How do you like the idea of influencers of the country in getting together under one roof? What kind of impact do you think it will have on the public?
We as a community of creators love getting together to share our journeys and most importantly meeting our viewers who have actually made our content what it is with their support!
You hail from Delhi and now moved to Mumbai, what has been your association with Hyderabad? Do you have any crazy fans from Hyderabad? What kind of stuff do they tell you? Are you planning any meet up with them?
Yes, I just moved to Mumbai from Delhi, it has been quite an exciting time for me in my career! As for Hyderabad, I did visit BITS Hyderabad a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised by the response I received! Hyderabad has such a great energy (read scream and cheers!) which inspired me so much!
Last week, YouTube conducted Telugu Day and talked about regional content having sway over the public. How then do you try to localise your content or try to make it relatable to say a youngster in Hyderabad or Chennai?
I try and make a question and answer video every now and then taking questions from my viewers all over the country! Also, to celebrate my channel hitting one million subscribers, I ran a contest and flew over a girl from Chennai to film a video with me!
What lessons has social media taught you? Or is the landscape changing so rapidly that it is tough to learn as one has to unlearn equally soon?
Social media and entertainment is all about evolving and adapting! I’ve learnt to change my content every now and then rapidly to keep my content interesting! I’ve tried many new and different formats over the years! I’ve also diversified my content from fashion to music, dance and skits. Another thing I’ve learnt is not take the trolls and comments personally. There can be a lot of hate online, but keeping a cool head and to keep on creating is something I’ve learnt!
What can Hyderabadis expect from you at the event? Will you be holding a workshop or a talk or some such?
I’ll be speaking about my journey and talking in depth about everything I’ve learnt and open it up to any questions the audience wants to ask me!
What’s your plan of action while in Hyderabad. What monuments would you be checking.
My only plan is to binge on Hyderabadi Biryani!
Taking on the trolls
I’ve learnt to not take the trolls and comments personally. There can be a lot of hate online, but keeping a cool head and to keep doing what I have planned to.