From bullied schoolboy to viral creator: Rohan Kanaparthi’s comedy journey

Bengaluru

Meet Rohan Kanaparthi (rohaann.07), the breakout comedy content creator from Shivamogga, Karnataka, who is taking Instagram by storm with his uniquely hilarious take on digital entertainment. He has carved out a massive niche for himself by turning typical motivational culture on its head with brilliant sarcasm, witty commentary and highly relatable comedy videos.

Deeply rooted in Karnataka’s youth culture, Rohan blends local Kannada pop-culture trends, sharp situational humour and his now-iconic signature catchphrases to deliver viral reels that guarantee a laugh. Backed by talent management agency Kalakaaar Official, he has built a loyal community of nearly 58,800 followers, making him one of the most exciting regional creators to watch and a rising favourite for brand collaborations.

The creator within
“I wasn’t really great at studies in school. I was an average student. I wasn’t good at sports either,” Rohan told News Trail in an exclusive interview. Reflecting on his school years, he said he was very different from who he is today and was even bullied during that time. He recently completed his Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) from SRNM National College for Applied Science and is now pursuing content creation full-time.

“I always knew I would somehow become famous someday. I just wasn’t sure how,” he said. That changed when he discovered social media, particularly TikTok. He had several ideas for videos but initially hesitated to create them. His first attempt came when he made a video with his sister. By the time he decided to pursue content creation seriously, TikTok had been banned in India. He also felt the need for a better phone to create videos.

“In 2023, I finally asked my mom to get me a phone. I started making a few videos with my friends. We experimented a lot with recreating scenes from popular movies, but that didn’t work out,” he recalled. He eventually shifted his focus to Kannada comedy content, marking the beginning of his journey as a creator.

Building momentum
Rohan’s first viral video almost resulted in him being detained by his college authorities. In the humorous Kannada lip-sync video, he featured his college campus, unaware of how quickly it would spread. “Within eight to 10 hours of posting it, the video had nearly 200,000 views. It reached my seniors and students, but it also reached the college authorities,” he said.

The incident prompted him to take a break from content creation for nearly six to seven months. After his hiatus, Rohan returned to creating content, this time consistently posting vlogs on YouTube for two to three months. The videos eventually began taking up so much storage that he had to upgrade his phone. “I bought a new phone and started making a series where I answered questions from my followers. That brought me a lot of followers.

The traction that series received was very impactful,” he said. Over time, Rohan also discovered what worked best for him as a creator. While he experimented with scripted videos, he realised that his audience preferred his more spontaneous and natural style. “I tried scripting my videos a few times, but it didn’t work out for me. I also realised that my followers didn’t like those videos as much. They preferred my natural, spontaneous content,” he said.

For Rohan, this became an important lesson in content creation — creators may have to balance what they enjoy making with what audiences connect with. Discussing the growing Kannada content ecosystem, he said language and algorithms play a significant role in determining how content reaches viewers. “The content isn’t necessarily being pushed by creators; it’s more about the language and the algorithm. Around 40% of my audience is from Bengaluru,” he said.

A new chapter
With content creation now his full-time pursuit, Rohan plans to focus more on YouTube, particularly exploring live streaming. “I want to do YouTube streaming. On Instagram, I post content showing my real self, and I feel I can be myself on YouTube too,” he said. He also plans to move to Bengaluru in the near future.

For Rohan, becoming a creator itself has been a significant milestone, particularly because of the challenges he has overcome along the way. His advice to aspiring creators is simple: experiment. “Try different kinds of content and different platforms. Something may work on Instagram, YouTube or even another platform. So keep trying and experimenting.”