KATHMANDU, July 20: With more than 40,000 subscribers in YouTube, Aayush Rimal is an online sensation among Nepali teens around the globe. Usually posting vines, vlogs and pranks, Ayush knows exactly how to please his followers with his quirky comedy and subtle observations.
In a chitchat with Republica’s Zenith Shah, the young Youtuber talks about his passion and the importance of chasing your dreams.
Could you tell us about your early life?
I was born in Biratnagar but I did my schooling from Kathmandu. I passed my grade 10 from Paragon Public School. By then, my dad had got D.V. for the USA and we were sure to leave. So just to pass time, I had enrolled myself into Nepal Mega College. I didn’t perform well in college at all, for there was already a stamp on my visa. In 2014, my family left for Dallas, Texas, where I joined the Birdville High School. After graduating from high school, I am doing my further studies at the Tarrant County College where I am pursuing IT and Film Making.
How did you take up Youtubing?
I was always tagged as a bad boy. Not bad per se, but a naughty boy actually (laughs). I would hang out with my friends, make noise, and was a real trouble maker. One day, in college, I was sent home for having long hair. So when I got home, I logged on to Facebook and was further annoyed with all the baseless posts people were updating. Out of frustration, I decided to use the camera that my mother gifted me to make a video and I uploaded it on my YouTube account. Surprisingly, the views on the video started increasing! I thought, if a video without any furnishing and editing could do so well, imagine how a well scripted video could do. The second video that I uploaded also had rapid growth in views. This was how my YouTubing officially started.
Know your inner self
What inspired/inspires you to continue making videos?
So, with the increase in followers and viewers, I decided to continue this passion of mine. Everyone around me inspired me to do so. My parents, friends, cousins—they would suggest me what type of videos to make next. The one who impressed me the most while I was barely starting was Youtuber Ryan Higa. In the initial days, I was inspired a lot by this guy and my videos were similar to his. It’s a known fact that one of my videos was directly copied (and I later deleted the video) from Ryan’s. Still, he too has, in a way inspired me. My viewers are the main source of motivation. Their love and support is all that has brought me here.
What was your first video?
I made my first video when I was in class 8 or 9. I used an iPod to make it. It was called “5 awesome ways to die.” I had also given it a touch up with filters from application like FX Guru.
What if YouTube hadn’t existed?
Well, I am a pretty passionate person and curious too. Had YouTube not been there, I would have been doing photography or filming short movies. So, Even if I hadn’t been successful with YouTube, I would still be making films.
Are you planning to take Youtubing as a full time profession?
Not yet! Making videos is my passion. Now that I am so much into it, I feel like it’s my duty to upload a video. If I do not upload a video at least once a week, I feel like something is missing. Back in U.S., I used to upload videos every week! Since I am busy hither thither in Nepal since the last one month, I just uploaded my new video after a long gap. I feel it’s more like my ‘responsibility’ to give videos out of my ‘passion.’ Well, right now, it’s like a semi-profession for me!
How do you manage your time?
I have to be in college for four days a week, and usually I only have two to four hour classes during college days. So, whenever I am free and not studying, I make videos. Usually, writing a script is the hardest part. Filming and editing can be done in a day or two.
Has moving to America helped you?
Our migration has helped me quite a lot! First, it helped me manage my time, then my American friends have become quite a help in making funny videos and gaining more views. Making them speak our language in my videos, I think no one has actually explored that kind of idea before. Plus, there is fast and secure internet connection, a must for my job.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I really want to do something for this country. I haven’t really figured out what exactly but maybe it will be in the field of IT, or maybe media. Even my parents want me to return and do something here. I do have a long-term plan of ten years (let’s keep mum on that though!).
Do you have any message for our readers?
Everyone says, ‘You’ve got a hidden talent. You must scavenge it yourself.’ I used to think, that’s absolutely ridiculous. But that’s not just a saying to me anymore. I have reached to this height just because I have found where my love is. Yes, when you find out that “hidden talent,” that’s when that saying starts to make sense to you. Chase your dreams. Do things for yourself, not for others. Money isn’t everything. Do what your heart says (nothing bad though).
