KOZHIKODE: A search of the most viewed Instagram reels on Google will list a video from the account ‘Learn from Khaby’ with 289 million views, followed by one from ‘Not all kids are fun’ with 270 million views, and another from Shivanjali Porje’s ‘Blink and Express’ with 260 million.
But a teenager from Malappuram is set to upend the standings. Muhammad Riswan’s latest video, so far, has received over 350 million views, clearly making it the most-viewed Instagram reel.
He uploaded the 30-second video of a football hitting a waterfall some 20 days back. It had one million views the first day. To the football freestyler’s surprise, the video caught on and has currently been viewed more than 360 million times.
“I was on a trip with my friends when we decided to stop by a waterfall. A football is something that I always carry, along with my mobile phone. I decided to kick the ball against the beautiful rocks expecting it to rebound. We were worried about losing the ball when I hit the waterfall, but were amazed when we saw the video,” says Riswan.
“I have been on Instagram with my profile as a football freestyler, but this is the first time my video has been watched hundreds of millions of times. This is indeed a rare achievement,” said Riswan, who has taken a year’s break after higher secondary to improve his freestyling skills.
Riswan was introduced to freestyling through videos and tutorials on YouTube and social media three years ago. His talent attracted eyeballs and helped him gain more than 5 lakh followers on Instagram. “He possesses skills that could put even professional freestylers in the shade,” said fellow residents of Areekode.
Another of Riswan’s videos, which shows him freestyling with a mobile phone, has received 77 million views. He hopes that Google searches will soon reflect the achievement of his record-breaking Insta reel.
Riswan’s father Abdul Majeed, mother Mymoona P T, brothers Rifan and Muhasin and sister Irfana Thasni are his biggest supporters. “My parents and siblings have always supported me in my efforts. Initially, I used to play around with a football, day in and day out, as nothing fascinated me more,” he adds.