Tanmay Bhat reflects on his mantras for success in content creation

YouTuber, comedian, performer, producer, scriptwriter, director and now an angel investor, Tanmay Bhat has tested every water and turned it into ‘mineral’. But ask him to reflect on his journey and the mantras for his success, and the creator is quick to admit, in all humility, that he has never actually done that.

After all, “how do you know how you’ve done something without detaching yourself from it?,” asks Tanmay, as he sits down for a no-holds-barred conversation with YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma at YourStory’s Creators Inc Conference 2022. 

Still, there are some “useful common” mantras, he adds, that have powered his content creation strategy.

Have fun. Find joy in your work

“Kudh ko trip hona chahiye, nahi toh janta ko trip nahi aayage” (You need to enjoy your work yourself first, otherwise people won’t enjoy it).

In essence, enjoy your work. Don’t be rigid in your ambitions. Have fun. 

So says Tanmay Bhat, as he highlights what to him has been an essential reason behind the successes he has enjoyed in his nearly two-decade-long career so far.

Surprise yourself 

“Wanting to constantly surprise yourself” – that’s a strategy that Tanmay Bhatt says he has employed throughout his content creation process. 

Whether it was making sketches in the early days of All India Bakchod, or crafting the famous viral mockumentary titled ‘Alia Bhatt - Genius of the Year’, or coming up with the idea of ‘roasts’ – the constant ability to surprise yourself coupled with the drive to consistently do so has proved ‘useful,’ Tanmay reminisces. 

Find joy in disruption

There’s perhaps nothing in the content creation space that Tanmay hasn’t done, but his trademark ability to adapt to changing landscapes and to disrupt them has been a constant throughout his career. 

“When you have done the heavy lifting, it starts showing now. Longer you keep outputting, the easier it gets for you to adapt. I never looked at the end goal,” Tanmay says.

And amidst it all, Tanmay thrives in the power and the sheer joy of disruption. 

“Even now, there’s joy in disruption. There is joy in getting a trip out of disrupting something,” Tanmay adds.

Rethink and reinvent

As every content creator, Tanmay, even to date, continues to ask himself the same question: “Will I be able to go without making content for, say, five years?” For this, his mantra of detachment and putting personal happiness above social validation comes handy.

And yet, in an age where the internet is riddled with a slew of content creators and as algorithms rule the roost, creators should know well not to rely on algorithms to get them too far, says Tanmay. 

Reinvention, on the other hand, will, he emphasises, adding,

“There is a constant need to rethink, reinvent and not be at the mercy of algorithms. It's a long game. Reinvention is absolutely necessary when you want a long career.”

(With inputs from Naina Sood)

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Recognising the burgeoning creator ecosystem and the new wave of entrepreneurship that comes with it, YourStory is celebrating the works of both established and emerging influencers in an initiative aimed at identifying, celebrating and accelerating the journey of digital creators who make extraordinary, unique and engaging content. We've partnered with Trell to bring you the Top 100 Creators challenge, which you can apply for here.