Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

RJ Abhinav: The Journey From Engineer to Comedy Influencer Being a content creator was never the plan, in fact during any career counselling session, the only terms he used to hear was engineer or doctor, which is what most of his classmates opted for.

By Kabir Singh Bhandari

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

RJ Abhinav

To the clueless bystander, RJ Abhinav with his beard style would probably come across as a slight doppelganger of the lead's mask from V For Vendetta (2005), but to his four million Instagram followers, he's someone who regularly entertains them with his comic sketches.

Being a content creator was never the plan, in fact during any career counselling session, the only terms he used to hear was engineer or doctor, which is what most of his classmates opted for. "Eventually I did a degree in Computer Science Engineering. But the one thing I was very interested in was listening to the radio right from my school days, because of which I would end up winning a lot of the radio contests where one had to dial in and answer the questions. So I knew what the entertainment world looked like from the outside," Abhinav tells us.

"After college I didn't get placed, so I started freelancing with a radio channel, after which there was no looking back as I found it to be a fascinating industry and got a lot of recognition. The appreciation was great, and after two years I also started making videos on YouTube since I wanted to utilize my acting skills. Although now when I look back at my earlier videos, it's what the present generation would refer to as cringe content!" he says.

The first time Abhinav's content went viral was when he did a parody on DJs at Indian weddings, which ended up being shared by a lot of DJs themselves. Regarding some videos not doing well, he believes that is something which is bound to happen, although the tricky part is when content backfires because people misinterpret it in another way, which he had not thought of. In that scenario there have been cases when he himself has deleted the video, if he felt that the content had a chance of being misunderstood, a tough decision, but being flexible is an important trait. With competition increasing with more content creators sprouting up every day, his plan for 2023 is stick to what he does best, and not be influenced by other creators, the increasing competition or changing algorithms.

The author can be reached at bkabir@entrepreneurindia.com and Instagram.com/kabirsinghbhandari

Kabir Singh Bhandari

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Senior Assistant Editor

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Social Media

Stop Chasing Algorithms — Here's How Creators Can Take Control of Their Content and Monetize on Their Own Terms

Social media platforms promise creators visibility, but the real challenge lies in relying on algorithms for income.

Starting a Business

Schools Fall Short on Teaching Financial Literacy — Here's 3 Ways Parents Can Raise Future Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship is not just for adults. Teaching kids the basics of business and finance from a young age will serve them well in life, no matter what path they pursue.

Business News

This New Restaurant Is Banking on One Dish — Because It's the Only Entrée on the Menu

The new hotspot is gaining buzz on social media for its innovative yet super simple concept.

Data & Recovery

Protect Your Business Data Without Sacrificing Privacy With Koofr Cloud Storage on Sale

Get 1TB of lifetime storage for your business with no recurring fees or data tracking.