How Zakir Khan, Bhuvan Bam and Kusha Kapila hit the big time

A comic, writer, actor and YouTube personality, Khan is best known for his stand-up and shayari (poetry) specials. His stand-up routines often revolve around dating, romantic or work experiences.

“It’s been a process for the last 10-12 years, and everything I do or say, a fiction or non-fiction show, a (comedy) special or interview, is part of one universe,” Khan explained on a video call the morning before he was to fly out for a month-long UK tour.

Khan is among the handful of digital creators slowly going beyond being known solely for self-created content on social media channels. He now curates specials, writes, produces, and sells out global tours—much like a one-man media company.

Others who are on this path include Bhuvan Bam, Kusha Kapila, Ashish Chanchlani and Prajakta Koli.

Over the years, niche target audience groups and regional interests mostly led to influencers and social media faces earning loyal but limited fan followings and brand collaborations. These creators, however, have managed to build a wider audience, moving from traditional comedy and satire to either work extensively with streaming platforms for web originals, or produce theatrical movies, or spawn individual brands and businesses.

Bam, an actor and creator, has gone from sketches on his YouTube channel BB Ki Vines to launching his own production house and acting in web show Taaza Khabar. Kapila, an actor, creator and satirist, parlayed her digital persona into fashion ambassadorships, web series, and high-profile brand deals.

According to a recent report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), India is home to around 2-2.5 million creators (the report defines a creator as a monetized individual with over 1,000 followers), influencing $350-400 billion spends across categories, generating $20-25 billion in value for the participants.

India is home to around 2-2.5 million creators, influencing $350-400 billion spends across categories, and generating $20-25 billion in value for the participants, as per a BCG report.

However, only 8-10% of these active creators are successfully monetizing their content. The vast majority earn very little or nothing at all. Once they make that leap, their careers are transformed. The journeys of Khan, Bam and Kapila, three of the oldest and most popular digital creators in India, offer much insight into how internet faces can build a sustainable, enduring and monetizable brand.

Breaking out

Earlier this week, Kapila released a short video on social media on the struggles of women who live alone.

“No society accepts us, including housing societies. I’m no longer scared of lizards… because at least I have company,” she says, speaking in a mix of Hindi and English. In a Reel that is both hilarious and thought-provoking, she touches upon a range of issues, from constantly checking the CCTV footage of her home when not around to forever keeping her living room lights on.

Well known for her satires on wealthy south Delhi women, Kapila is equally at ease capturing the common everyday struggles of ordinary growing girls. In a video released last October, for example, she talked about the experience of getting her first period.

In a conversation with Mint, Kapila said she comes from an organic place of simply being a woman. “The way I view social media is from a very female gaze. There was a lot I wanted to say…and it just came from having a female perspective,” said Kapila.

From common stereotypes to pressure around marriage and kids, Kapila’s content speaks to women. In fact, Underneat, the shapewear brand she launched recently, comes from knowing that women are curious about such products and there is need for more information around the same, packed with tips she has picked from years on the job.

Aside from launching Underneat, Kapila has gradually made the transition from her content on social media to fiction and non-fiction content on OTT, appearing in web originals such as Ghost Stories, Masaba Masaba, and Life Hill Gayi. She is now getting into theatrical films, with Sukhee and Thank You For Coming.

At the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai earlier this month, Gaurav Banerjee, now managing director and CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), recalled his days at Disney Star, which had backed Bam’s show, Taaza Khabar. Banerjee was struck by Bam’s confidence—he simply walked in with the idea and script for the show. Eventually, he opened doors for other creators to venture into mainstream film and OTT with compelling content.

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According to media consulting firm Ormax, the second season of Taaza Khabar, on JioHotstar, featured in the list of most watched Hindi web series of 2024, with a viewership of 15.3 million.

“Our country is a land of stories, if you stay true to your world, your audiences will grow with you, no matter what the region or language is. If the content is good, it’s accessible to everyone,” Bam told Mint, explaining his success.

The comedian has channeled his social media success with satirical sketches on life in middle class India, where he played multiple characters, sometimes within the same video. He also started an interview series on YouTube which featured guests like Hindi film actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Coherent content

Industry experts agree that in a hyper-saturated creator economy, only a few names break through the noise and build enduring equity. Creators like Khan, Bam and Kapila have not just attracted attention, they’ve sustained relevance by shaping personal brands that are both emotionally resonant and strategically consistent, said Saurabh Uboweja, managing partner and practice leader, positioning strategy, at business management consulting firm BOD Consulting.

“At their core, these creators built a clear and distinctive emotional proposition early on. For instance, Zakir’s voice of the small-town underdog, Bhuvan’s emotionally layered humour, and Kusha’s unapologetic satire of urban India. They have scaled that narrative across new formats and platforms without diluting it,” Uboweja added.

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Brand experts point out that what separates these creators is not just content volume but content coherence. Whether moving into film, launching businesses, or writing, their ventures feel like natural extensions of their brand personas, not opportunistic tangents.

This strategic clarity, paired with an instinct for culturally relevant insights, creates both audience trust and commercial leverage.

“These names entered the scene when competition was sparse and algorithms favoured organic growth. This head start allowed them to refine their craft without the pressures of today’s overpopulated platforms,” said Damini Goyal Gupta, faculty of digital marketing and communications, FLAME University.

“What sets them apart is clarity of persona. Zakir fused shayari with stand-up; Bhuvan built an entire sketch universe with just himself; Kusha’s satirical urban aunties held up a mirror to society. Each forged an identity that audiences could instantly connect with—something trending creators often lack,” Goyal added.

Their growth wasn’t linear. Khan collaborated with Amazon Prime, whereas Bam launched his own production house. These creators didn’t just chase views—they built intellectual property, signed deals, and expanded formats.

“Despite the low entry barrier, success in the creator economy is brutally selective. Virality is fickle and creators are at the mercy of opaque algorithms,” said Goyal. “Mimicking trends without a distinct voice leads to short-lived visibility. In a sea of content, being forgettable is fatal.”

Virality is fickle and creators are at the mercy of opaque algorithms.

— Damini Goyal

Constant content creation with little reward wears creators down, she added, noting that many exit not due to lack of talent but due to exhaustion.

Emphasizing that the difference between a decade ago and now is one of reach and impact, creators and industry experts say the lesson today is not try and speak to everyone, because that is anyway impossible, but to specific social groups that could be niches (such as women in middle-class homes) and universes in themselves.

Numbers don’t really mean much anymore, Kapila said. “Earlier you would get noticed if you were an account with a large following—there was nothing like an algorithm. That tech has become so much better, stronger and more sophisticated. It might be tougher (because of the clutter and competition) but the algo services you more, especially if you pick up a trend or do something controversial,” she added.

Mainstream transition

However, even though Khan (Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare), Bam (Taaza Khabar, Dhindora) and Kapila (Thank You for Coming, Life Hill Gayi) have all attempted to break into OTT and films, the transition is easier said than done.

While OTT platforms still see their projects as mid-tier offerings, budgeted at less than ₹10 crore, people popular on social media come with both advantages and disadvantages. If you’re over-exposed, a lot of producers and directors don’t want to take you on because you’re typecast.

Bam agreed it’s tough to transition to mainstream formats. “Even if you come from a social media background, you need to prove yourself all over again. It’s like any other business—you get paid to deliver, and if you fail, you might lose out on chances,” he said.

Entertainment industry experts agree this shift can be a challenge when your target audience is niche and you’re more used to creating your own material for social media.

Even though Khan, Bam and Kapila have all attempted to break into OTT and films, the transition is easier said than done. OTT platforms still see their projects as mid-tier offerings, budgeted at less than ₹10 crore.

“The transition is tough, not because creators aren’t talented, but because mainstream doesn’t play by digital rules,” said Rajnish Rawat, cofounder and CEO of Social Pill, a digital marketing agency. “On the internet, creators call the shots—they write, shoot, edit, and post what they want, when they want. In film or OTT, they’re just one piece in a bigger setup. Being famous online doesn’t mean you’ll automatically fit into a writers’ room or a film set,” he added.

The format is different, the pressure is different. While they don’t start from scratch, they still have to learn the ropes. And the ones who treat it like a serious second career, not just a side project, are the ones who usually make it work, Rawat further said.

“I don’t think creators can just sit up one day and say they want to act. They are different professions and don’t overlap. You become an actor worth your salt after years of training and nothing matters if you aren’t able to nail the audition,” Kapila added.

Her ultimate aim is to put together a fiction series that she can write, produce and feature in.

Khan agreed, emphasizing that films are not an upgrade but an entirely different stream, “like a boxer playing cricket”. Moreover, this isn’t an easy gamble, especially for creative people who’ve had to claw their way up.

As he put it: “I’m not married to anything. This is one life, I would like to do everything. But I’ve understood the math of the business, so I don’t want to take random, passionate decisions I could lose everything to. This hasn’t been handed to me on a platter.”