COVER STORY: Pulse of The Creator Culture with Niharika NM and Srushti Tawade

Between the two of them, one’s going on a first date with star cricketer Shubman Gill and another is choosing “Breakfast Over Bae” and shunning a toxic ex. Both Niharika NM and Srushti Tawade have rocked the cover of Rolling Stone India before and now they’re here together and taking stock of their respective journeys as creators so far.

The pair give us a crash course on what it takes to be a content creator in 2023, even as they’re in the spotlight for Budweiser Beats‘ collaboration series Real Behind The Reel, which aims to empower creators to conquer obstacles, ignite inspiration, and unlock their fullest potential. It aims to uncover the hidden stories, celebrate the visionaries, and amplify the voices shaping the future of creativity and define what it means to ‘Get Your Beats On’.

If there are things they share in common, it’s not difficult to point out — Niharika and Tawade have both amassed a massive following often for their humorous turns, but also keeping their comedic intent rooted in awkward and sometimes even uncomfortable truths.

From dating advice to always pulling the funniest facial expressions on the Internet, engineer-turned-digital creator Niharika NM says authenticity stays at the core of her writing now that the Bengaluru girl has arguably broken into the mainstream. Tawade, for her part, is still staying close to hip-hop but doing it her way, moving forward with the confidence that “whatever is served plenty” will eventually become part of mainstream consciousness rather than a niche with one-time relevance.

With millions of followers and streams, Niharika and Tawade also keep things fresh by creating and slipping into different character modes — they can have a Napoleon complex like Tawade’s Chota Don or just pile on the exaggerated humor like Niharika in her videos. “There’s more to me than just being the ‘funny’ persona. So, if you ever meet me in person or interact with me outside of my videos, don’t be surprised if I’m not constantly cracking jokes,” Niharika says.

The creators give us the inside track on what goes into seeing their projects come to fruition, how they’ve seen hyperlocal references somehow having a global appeal and what’s coming up next. Excerpts:

Rolling Stone India: I’m guessing you’ve both shown up on each other’s radars from time to time. What you think of each other’s work so far and what was the first song/video/content that you saw of each other?

Niharika NM: I think Srushti is fabulous at what she does. I’ve seen a tonne of her work on my feed and I’m so happy that she’s getting the kind of recognition that she truly deserves! I can’t wait to see all the magic she creates in the future!

Srushti Tawade: It was a reel of hers from years ago. She used to make very relatable and funny content all the time. I found her humor really fun and raw. More slapstick sometimes happens to make artists less witty. I don’t think Niharika ever fell in that category, though!

You’ve both had these unmistakable intersections with the “mainstream.” Does it take anything different to be creative for mainstream audiences?

Niharika: Honestly as cliche as it may sound, being authentic can genuinely help you connect with your audience. Having said that, to be creative for mainstream audiences, I think it’s essential to create content with broad appeal, accessible language, and a balance between familiarity and innovation. Being mindful of cultural sensitivities, and staying informed about audience preferences and trends are also key.

Tawade: I believe you are always your first target audience. And if you can’t convince yourself of absolutely owning your very instinctive idea, art can become very mechanical, which isn’t a good thing. Whatever is served plenty will eventually become the mainstream. And I believe that your rawness can become as mainstream as you’d like if your conviction doesn’t fall short.

Due to the nature of the Internet, something that you may have thought of as a super specific, or hyperlocal cultural reference has somehow got understood on a global level. Does it surprise you when things like that happen? Or do you feel we’re always all thinking ‘globally’?

Tawade: It’s a pleasant surprise to watch your art be received on a large scale and in more meaningful ways than you may have imagined it to be. It’s always a reason to be grateful for the attention being paid, without a doubt.

Niharika: As a content creator, I’m constantly amazed by how the Internet has the power to take something that starts as a local reference and make it known worldwide. It’s like a small joke or cultural tidbit that can suddenly become familiar to people from all over the globe. We’re living in a time where we’re more interconnected than ever before, thanks to technology and social media. Information travels quickly, crossing cultural boundaries effortlessly, and creating a sense of global community. It’s truly astonishing and thrilling to witness the impact and reach of our content in this digital era.

You both have a strong affinity for creating characters with your works. What are the challenges in that?

Niharika: I guess making sure the characters are unique and interesting among others that already exist is definitely a challenge. Keeping the characters consistent throughout different sketches can also be tricky, along with developing depth and growth in the characters’ personalities and stories as well. Balancing how the characters look and how they tell a story visually can be tough sometimes, alongside making the characters relatable and likable in order to connect with the audience.

Tawade: Creating characters must come easy to any artist who has a liking for observing life. Imagination helps too. The challenge one may face is to resist the urge of making everything black and white as such. Grey is good. Grey is real. And grey is relatable.

Do you ever feel that the more personas you present to the public, they also may be then surprised when they speak with who you are normally, when you’re not playing a character or “on” so to speak? What have your experiences been like on that front?

Tawade: I often find myself thinking of life as a movie. In that sense, I’m always playing a character, even if it be the character of Srushti Tawade. I still believe in plot twists, character arcs, dialogue, etc when it comes to real life. So, it’s difficult to recall the last time I wasn’t playing a character at all, to begin with.

Niharika: As a comedy creator, I know that when people meet me off-camera, they might have certain expectations. In my videos, I often portray exaggerated characters or showcase a heightened version of myself to entertain my audience. However, I can’t be that version of me all the time. While I enjoy making people through my content, there’s more to me than just being the “funny” persona. So, if you ever meet me in person or interact with me outside of my videos, don’t be surprised if I’m not constantly cracking jokes. I’m still the same person, just embracing the diverse aspects of who I am beyond the realm of comedy.

Where do you think is the best place or environment where you do all your ideating?

Tawade: Often, the ability to create is associated with willpower. Even with a deadline, willpower can really get me to push through. Moreover, consumption of art and content or even playing games that require creativity helps exercise the right brain. I do a lot of it very often.

Niharika: As a creator that makes content based on observational comedy, the world is literally my oyster. Most, if not all, of my ideas, come to me when I’m on the go or in a public setting where I take inspiration from mundane situations or experiences that I’m a part of. I always have a running list of ideas banked on my phone that I dip into whenever I have to create content.

Niharika, you’ve often leaned into this format where you’re interacting with a celebrity/public persona, like Shubman Gill recently. How much of that role-playing involves trying to get the other person out of their shell? Because it feels like in your videos, they too are sort of kept within a certain character range to keep things humorous.

Niharika: Whenever I collaborate with someone, I make sure that it is an actual collaboration where both of us let our personalities come through while following a loosely written sketch so that we have enough direction without being confined to a script that’s fully written out and set in stone which would leave little to no room for improvisation. Most, if not all, of the collaborations I’ve done so far, have had the other person be fully involved and invested from the pre-production and writing all through the final edit phase and I can’t be more grateful and honored because it plays a huge role in why the collabs are able to set themselves apart from others.

Srushti, you just had “Breakfast Over Bae” come out — a fun, relatable concept that also adds new themes to Indian hip-hop. How did the song come about and have you seen any reactions to it that you found cool?

Tawade: ‘Breakfast Over Bae’ has been my most random experiment so far. And, to be precise, I wrote it out of sheer hunger. I did not actually realize it was such an experiment until I was told so. And most people have been calling this song ‘international,’ which seems pretty accurate to me. Hunger is pretty much a global thing. Well, this song certainly is the most important meal before you go about your day listening to the rest of my album!

What’s been a recent breakthrough you’ve been really proud of?

Tawade: I think, much like really young children, I’ve not explored the feeling of pride so much when it comes to events that are supposedly ‘breakthroughs’. Sometimes, I happen to feel proud of myself for knowing what I want for dinner, and that’s about it!

Niharika: As someone that started out on the internet very young, I basically grew up on the internet, and along the way somewhere, I guess I forgot to pause and look back at how far I’ve been able to pull myself, and I’m really proud of that. I’m proud of myself for trusting myself and giving myself an actual shot at not only dreaming big but actually trying to make those dreams come true.

In the age of creators that we’ve reached today, a lot is said about teams and people employing a team of writers or having other creative minds to collaborate with. Do you prefer the DIY method yourselves? How do you navigate offers for collabs and seeking out a sounding board or assistance in your creativity?

Niharika: As much as I’d love to have a writers’ room one day, I’m currently my own writer’s room. I do, however, make my friends and family turn into sounding boards and guinea pigs to test content and it’s been really helpful so far. But, as I foray into different formats/types of content, I would probably explore working with other writers or artists.

Tawade: I think it’s about figuring out when too many cooks might spoil the broth versus when more might be merrier. As far as my current work is concerned, it does not require me to get assistance in writing. However, some project at some point in the future very well might need that and I would be up for it then.

Can you tell us a bit about what’s coming up for you both individually in 2023? Could we see a collab between you in the future? Everyone knows that has potential for comedy gold!

Niharika: I guess this year has truly been the year for me to own the content creation space, and I’ve been working on potentially cracking new content formats for the foreseeable future. We’re also parallelly working on a bunch of cool projects that are not entirely social media based, but you’ll have to wait a while to hear more about that [winks]. And as far as collaborating w Srushti goes, I’m so down! Let’s go, Srushti!!

Tawade: 2023 is my first year into my career, which means I will learn and take baby steps towards the rest of it. My debut album and a few other unreal projects are aligned for release through the year. I’m assuming a lot of learning will come my way, and Niharika very well might be part of it. However, it’s not just comedy that you must expect from the likes of us. Always be ready for a surprise. That’s how we roll!

We all face moments of self-doubt in our creative journeys. How do you stay motivated and push through those moments to ‘get your beats on’?

Tawade: Self-doubt is a lot like dandruff. It’s almost always there. And every now and then, you look into the mirror and find it sitting on your head. Sometimes, other people see it before you can & they point it out to you. It sure leaves you feeling very conscious. Well, reassurance through words or actions can act as the shampoo you must use, and you won’t itch anymore.

Niharika: As a creator, I understand that self-doubt is a common experience in the creative journey. To stay motivated and push through those moments, I remind myself of my passion and purpose, reconnecting with the reasons why I started in the first place. I’m also blessed to have amazing people as family and friends that are my support system and are always rooting for me while also giving me reality checks as and when I need them. I also make sure to dream big but set realistic goals, celebrate small victories, and focus on personal growth rather than comparing myself to others.

‘Get Your Beats On’ can mean differently for different people. For some, it is to stay focused, energized and in the creative zone. What does it mean to you?

Tawade: ‘Get Your Beats On’ means it’s time for me to learn what else is not so impossible to pull off after all.

Niharika: ‘Get your Beats on’ to me means to get in my zone, do what I do best and do it even better.

Collaboration can bring fresh perspectives and ideas. Have there been any instances where teaming up with another creative individual or brand pushed you to new creative heights? How did it influence your work?

Niharika: Very recently, for the Budweiser Beats collab we adopted a format that I don’t usually use, and I was honestly terrified because It wasn’t like the videos I usually make, and I was nervous about being able to integrate the brand organically and not force fit it, and it turned out great. The moral of the story — don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and Get your Beats on even if it terrifies you because something amazing might come out of it.

Tawade: With Budweiser Beats, I had more fun than what a usual brand collaboration has to offer. I think the sheer liberty to be myself and let my creativity put me in a happier spot instantly.

Photography by – Kirti Narain

Artwork by – Milisha Joisar

Art Director: Tanvi Shah 

Brand Director: Tulsi Bavishi

Art Assistant: Siddhi Chavan