A Mimicry Marvel And an Aspiring Bollywood Actor Mimicking our favorite actors was a way that worked best for me to showcase my talent, says influencer Ronit Ashra

Ronit Ashra has always been fond of art and acting. He has been making videos for the last seven years and he calls his journey so far an eventful one with lots of ups and downs. During the COVID-induced lockdowns, when the world turned to the internet for entertainment, he jumped in straight to provide a medium.

"Mimicking our favorite actors was a way that worked best for me to showcase my talent. I always wanted to showcase my art to the world, while I am grateful for the platform provided to me through content creation and social media, my goal is to become an actor," he says.

Content creation, however, is not an easy job. He explains why. "Making videos is a difficult process since it primarily relies on my entire team and the foundation clip, which takes around 4-5 days to prepare and has the exact structure stated in it. Furthermore, it is determined if the concept is generic or branded. Working on the general material is more challenging for me since I have to give it my best. We source apparel and cosmetics according to the criteria. I am extremely grateful to my team as we work for several hours (overnight even) to get the perfect lights, makeup, costume and shots. Honestly, I am a perfectionist when it comes to my content, which is why we give it our best throughout the production process."

Ashra's content revolves around niche humor. It is relatable, relevant, and entertaining but also unique. Unlike creating sketch-like videos, he has made a place for himself by mimicking his favorite celebrities in his own funny yet non-offensive way. "The first time my content went viral was a duet with Ananya Pandey. With Alia Bhatt, I had already tried it, which was also extremely well received. I started to imitate everyone because it was well received. I eventually realized that people didn't mind seeing me dressed up and wearing makeup. They are rather delighted to see me imitate popular personalities," he says.

The aspiring Bollywood actor believes that a few elements which contribute to good content are uniqueness, humor, relatability and relevance. In the last few years, he has worked with brands such as Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, OnePlus and many more. However, he doesn't let brand collaborations come in the way of his creative freedom.

"The key is seamlessly integrating branded content in my generic content so that it fulfills the brand's needs of promotion and the audience's needs of entertainment. It is the reason I have also earned the chance to collaborate with some big industry names like Shilpa Shetty and Kangana Ranaut. All of my brand partnerships have been extremely specific in their communications about how much creative liberty I have to express myself, and I ensure both parties are satisfied with the collaboration," he says.

Ashra's goal for 2023, is to widen his audience base through well-planned content. He has also been focusing on his education and art, to better his skills for his audience.

Factsheet

• Number of followers on Insta: 1.7Mn
• Number of subscribers on YT: 711K
• Genre: Entertainment
• Brand partnerships: 20 (approx) including Swiggy, OnePlus, Hotstar