Pratheek: The rise of Malnad’s master of roast

Bengaluru

Pratheek Sahyadri (pratheek_sahyadri) is a master of the "straight-faced" roast, blending sharp sarcasm with a deeply relatable, observational style. This content creator from Malnad has carved out a unique space by taking the mundane frustrations of daily life - from the absurdities of social expectations to the ironies of adulting, and dissecting them with a dry, biting wit that hits home for his audience. As a result, he has cultivated a loyal Instagram audience of 63,300 followers.

His humour doesn't rely on being loud; instead, it’s built on perfect timing, and that specific brand of "unimpressed" energy that makes every sarcastic remark feel like a shared inside joke with his followers. What sets him apart is his ability to maintain a grounded, authentic persona while delivering his satirical takes. He often plays the role of the cynical observer, and by leaning into this sarcastic, low-effort-high-impact comedy, he turns everyday awkwardness into viral content, making him a go-to creator for anyone who prefers their humour with a side of witty realism.

Bumpy ride 
Pratheek has had a very tough journey till now overcoming several obstacles on the way. He spoke about being partly influenced by his brother, who works on the technical side of the Kannada film industry. Visiting several film sets and getting a glimpse of the industry through his brother sparked his interest. “When I was 20 years, I ran away to Mumbai because of my passion for cinema”, he said. He added that while working at a theatre there, an elder advised him not to rush into life-changing decisions at such a young age and instead suggested he enrol in acting classes. He took the advice, attended acting classes for a month, and then returned to Karnataka.

By the end of 2020, he had gained experience through an internship and went on to his first job at an edtech company. Shortly after, he was offered an opportunity to work on a movie set. “That was the first time I realised the hardships and realities of the film industry and what it truly means to be part of a production. Although ‘assistant director’ sounded like a big title, the challenges were far greater”, he stated. 

After watching one of Pratheek’s videos, a lyricist associated with the project encouraged him to begin creating content, predicting it could be a breakthrough moment; however, he dismissed the idea at the time. “I decided to take up theatre to take my mind off things,” he said, reflecting on his foray into drama and acting. Pratheek trained with two different theatre troupes under experienced mentors, but he admitted that the practice sessions were challenging and at times took a toll on his self-esteem. “By 2023, I decided not to pursue cinema or theatre anymore”, he sighed.

Built up momentum
2024 proved to be a brighter year for him, as he gained experience working with two different media channels, delving into both journalistic and media-related projects. “One of the channels asked me to compile a list of Kannada content creators along with their monetisation details or pricing for work. That’s when I realised how content creators operate,” he said. He even went on to try his hand at voice-over work. “I was determined to buy a new phone and microphone and start creating content,” Prateek shared, reflecting on his decision to step into the content creation world. He uploaded his first video in December 2024 and began posting consistently in March.

Create for the art
His first series to go viral on Instagram featured videos where he spoke in reverse - a satirical and sarcastic concept that quickly captured attention. One video in particular helped him gain 5,000 followers overnight, and he continued building momentum with several follow-up videos in the eries.