Prajakta Koli is only Indian to feature on TIME100 Creators List
In a conversation with YourStory, Prajakta Koli speaks about what being on the TIME100 Creators List means to her, the biggest lesson in her journey, and staying true to her voice.
Content creator, actor, author, and climate change champion Prajakta Koli of Mostly Sane fame is the only India-born creator to be featured in the inaugural 2025 TIME100 Creators List. She joins other popular creators in this prestigious list, like Jimmy Donaldson (Mr. Beast), Khabane Lame, Kai Cenat, Mel Robbins, and others.
Well-known by her online moniker, Mostly Sane, Koli has over 7 million YouTube subscribers and 8 million followers on Instagram. Her Netflix web series Mismatched has had a good run of three seasons so far and has been renewed for another season.
This year, Koli also released her debut work of fiction, Too Good To Be True.
Speaking to HerStory on the achievement, Koli says she is trying to reel it all in.
“Personally, it means a lot. I am very grateful. At the same time, it’s inspiring and motivating. Professionally, I think I will know what it means only as time passes. It’s not like I was working towards this. I didn’t think this was ever going to be a possibility,” she puts it candidly.
Was there a specific moment or video that she felt marked her shift from national to global recognition?
Koli believes that it all happened because of the shift on the platform (YouTube).
“In 2017, the digital boom happened in India, and we started reaching different places. Borders weren’t an issue anymore, and the world just became our map, and that worked in our favour,” she explains.
Koli launched Mostly Sane in 2015, and since then, her journey has been multi-dimensional. But what is the biggest lesson from her early days of building a channel?
“I think the biggest lesson and the foolproof way of staying in the game was to show up every day, no matter how confident I was not, or how underprepared I thought I was. I worked hard and continued to show up every day,” she adds.
Koli’s global impact extends beyond entertainment. She has been associated with the International Olympic Committee, the UN, the Gates Foundation, the World Economic Forum, and the COP Summit. She was part of the ‘Creators For Change’ YouTube Originals docuseries featuring Michelle Obama, which won a Daytime Emmy Award. She is also UNDP India's First Youth Climate Champion.
As a prominent voice for gender equality and climate action, will this recent recognition amplify those causes?
“When platforms like The Hollywood Reporter or Time magazine recognise you, it brings a lot of credibility to what you have been saying. It may lead to more collaborations and conversations. At this point, I will have to wait and see how it works out,” she admits.
Koli has often said that creators can drive meaningful conversations and inspire positive change. What are the causes close to her heart?
“I have been passionate about mental health, gender equality, climate action, and inclusivity for a decade now, and continue to do so. Reading books and self-care are also important for me,” Koli says.
Navigating a cluttered digital landscape, Koli spreads her wings in every direction—as a creator, actor, and changemaker. How does she stay true to her voice while adapting to evolving audience tastes?
Prajakta says there are two ways to “go about the internet.”
“One is to pick a character and keep playing it—which is fine, but for me, it was too exhausting to sustain. The other way is to bring your raw, authentic self to the screen and see where it takes you. That’s the path I chose, and it’s what helps me stay true,” she signs off.
Edited by Kanishk Singh