March 13: When I first visited Isha Thapa’s house as a young girl of 14, her brother, Anish Jung Thapa, had a separate office space where he liked to work. Every time we had to enter the space, we used to tiptoe around the many wires coming out of multiplugs, afraid to touch the giant speakers. Instead, we crowded around a desktop computer at the corner to complete our project works from school.
The blue-tinted ceiling, cold carpet-less floor and white cardboards pasted on the walls that spelt out “Stambha” are some of my favorite childhood memories.
So, years later, when I found out that “Stambha” had now been adapted into the popular YouTube channel, Fun Revolution TV, I knew it was time to revisit an old friend. It was a much-awaited conversation—and one that I’ll remember for a long time.
The channel itself has amassed 67.6 thousand subscribers with over 6 million views in total. With popular figures like Sabin Karki, Sajin Maharjan and Czzling Roynee making appearances in their videos, Fun Revolution TV has embarked on a journey that they hope will be nothing short of remarkable.
On the internet, Fun Revolution TV staff introduce themselves as, “A bunch of film enthusiasts who make a satirical comedy based on contemporary situations.” In-person, they are five hardworking individuals balancing studies, work and shoot at the same time. Four of them, Anish Jung Thapa, Nimesh Shrestha, Isha Thapa, and Sanjana Maharjan are all the faces in front of and behind the camera. The workload of script-writing, directing, producing, shooting and acting are divided among them. The team has recently hired an editor due to their extensions towards projects outside of the digital space.
Essential tests
Although the channel existed since 2012, regular postings started only around 2017. Most of the videos they had posted before then had mostly to do with Anish’s filmography. It started off with an idea of Stambha—a space for innovation. But when he combined his forces with Nimesh, and the popular YouTuber, SuperMandip, the name Fun Revolution TV officially emerged.
While the channel had plenty of viewers, it got its first big break when Sabin Karki made an appearance in their video “Voice of Middle Class.” Following this, the R-rated “Boka Haru: The Chronicles of Social Awareness” and the “Bro Series” started getting more and more attention. Even though the views weren’t that many, these two contents made them popular among creators and got them critical acclaim.
Anish’s sister, Isha, and Sanjana joined the team with the production of the “Girl Series”. To everyone’s surprise, the show started doing better than anything else the channel had ever tackled. Previously, their viewers were 20% women and 80% men. With the start of this series, that has changed and now it’s 80% women and 20% percent men. “The Bro Series and Girl Series are also the videos that we get most recognized for,” says Sanjana.\
Fun Revolution TV has been gaining steady popularity. Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are the only platforms where they publish their content. The channel has never relied on sponsored posts or boosts for bringing in viewers.
“Over time we have had the privilege of working with many people,” says Anish, “And the team has evolved countless times. But one thing that has always remained consistent from our side is our content.” And Fun Revolution TV prides itself on its inventive screenplays, quality output and uncompromising zeal to bring a new flavor to online comedies.
However, it’s been a slow process and Isha admits that since they want their content to have substance, it takes time to come up with ideas. She says that the team would rather put out entertaining and meaningful videos once in a while than insubstantial content every day.
“Unfortunately, the YouTube algorithm favors regular updates. This is why our reach isn’t growing at the rate it could,” she says.
It’s also difficult to catch viewer’s attention during the age of click-baits and false advertisements. As Nepalis, we pride ourselves in our diversity. But it makes the market that much more complex to confront. Tastes differ, and so do demands. Finding a balance between the two requires dedication, research, and proper marketing. Even then, the product might still fail.
Another subject that cannot be overlooked is the mental state YouTubers often find themselves in. Being in a spotlight, deadlines, heavy workload, criticisms and business risks are issues that everyone finds stressful. But when tackling them becomes an everyday part of your job, there are bound to be both physical and emotional consequences.
“95% of the comments we receive are positive feedbacks,” says Anish, “But even then, when someone is harsh, it can be draining. Hate comments can only get to you if you believe them. Our tactic is disbelief. No one can beat you up if you aren’t in the fight.”
“We also share our workload,” adds Nimesh. “When one is busy, the other can cover for them and vice versa. Not everyone is fortunate enough to work with people they consider family. So when trouble comes knocking, we collectively take it as a challenge rather than cowering away,” he concludes.
