Entertainment
How Relatable Are Harsh Beniwal and His Content to Us?
Let's read about Harsh Beniwal's story, which started in Dubsmash and reached Bollywood. He built a digital content library and empire.
Every Hindi comedy lover knows Harsh Beniwal. The Youtuber has dabbled in comedy, acting, music, and even directing. Harsh Beniwal is one of India’s biggest digital entertainers, with over 2 billion views, over 16 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 67 lakh followers on Instagram.
On his birthday on February 13, let’s read about Harshu, as he is known to his fans, and explore how he mastered himself.
When Harsh Beniwal Made Us Stick to Screens Beyond YouTube!
Harsh didn’t stop at YouTube. When TikTok became popular in India, he jumped in, gaining millions of views. However, after the TikTok ban, Harsh Beniwal transitioned to Instagram Reels, where he still dominates. His comedy has taken over platforms like JioCinema, Amazon Prime Video, and even stage performances. Let’s look at some of his most entertaining works that have kept us laughing over the years.
Campus Diaries (2022) – MxPlayer & Jio Cinema
Harsh stepped beyond his usual comedy sketches and worked himself into a full-fledged web series with Campus Diaries. The show blended humour with drama, giving us a glimpse of college life far from the typical “fun and freedom” narrative. It touched on serious issues like drug abuse, ragging, and mental health, all while keeping the comedic timing sharp. Harsh’s role as Sudheer, the loud yet lovable friend, proved he could do more than just short skits.
Who Killed Jessica? (2021) – YouTube
This one was a game-changer. Harsh directed and starred in Who Killed Jessica?, a hilarious murder mystery parody. The video played with detective tropes, conspiracy theories, and exaggerated plot twists that felt like a mix of Bollywood suspense and Harsh’s signature chaotic comedy. The audience loved the fresh take, and it quickly became one of his most-watched scripted videos.
Playground (2022) – Amazon MiniTV
Harsh stepped into the world of gaming and reality shows as a judge on Playground, a competitive e-sports reality show. Seeing him outside his usual comedy zone was interesting, bringing his charm and wit while mentoring contestants. This project showed his growing influence beyond scripted content into entertainment that connects OTT, YouTube and gaming audiences.
Barfi (2022) – YouTube Series
Barfi was a rollercoaster of emotions, inspired by Bollywood-style storytelling, filled with action, drama and Harsh’s signature humour. The production quality was noticeably high, with crisp cinematography and a gripping storyline. Fans appreciated that Harsh wasn’t just making quick comedy sketches anymore; he was creating long-format content with actual meaning and depth.
Checkmate (2023) – YouTube
Harsh’s first feature-length film on YouTube, Checkmate, was ambitious. He acted in it, directed and wrote the script. A mix of suspense, action and comedy, the film got over one crore views within two days. It was a bold move and proved YouTubers could produce full-fledged films that could sidetrack mainstream OTT releases.
Films & Other Series
- Bollywood Debut
- Student of the Year 2 (2019) – played Puggi.
- Music Videos
- Kalesh (2018) – Mika Singh & Millind Gaba
- The Lockdown Rap (2020)
- Dhindora (2021) – Kailash Kher
- Meri Zindagi (2023) – Tulsi Kumar
Quick Facts About Harsh Beniwal
Born on February 13, 1996, Harshvardhan Beniwal comes from the busiest and crowded streets of New Delhi, where his family’s residence is. This quick-witted youngster discovered his love for performance very early. Though he pursued a Bachelor of Computer Applications at Sri Aurobindo College, the digital space soon embraced him, pushing him to drop out and chase a career as a creator and storyteller. He believes in his roots and always wears his love for the family on him, quite literally, with a “Maa” tattoo inked on his right forearm, a mark of the deep bond he feels keeps him grounded even as his stardom soars.
How did Harsh Beniwal Turn into a Comedy Star?
As a child, he loved performing and participated in Ramleelas as Lakshman. He was always active in school and college competitions. His love for acting pushed him to join a theatre group, where he performed Nukkad Natak (street plays).
In 2015, his life took a turn when he started posting Dubsmash videos on Facebook. His early videos got 200-300 views, but that didn’t stop him. He created a Facebook page, The Brain Humour, and kept uploading content. Soon, his Dubsmash vines, especially Hey Siri, Call My Girlfriend (inspired by Logan Paul), started going viral.
On 6 July 2015, Harsh took a bold step by starting his YouTube channel. His first video, Comedy Hunt – Indian Mom During Result, set the tone for what was to come. His relatable, over-the-top and unique dictioned comedy quickly made him a sensation.
Harsh is not the only creator in his family!
Harsh Beniwal isn’t the only star in his family! His father, a former wrestler, instilled discipline and resilience in him, while his mother, Sunita Beniwal, provided support throughout his journey. His sister, Pria Beniwal, is a well-known YouTuber, and his brother-in-law, Millind Gaba, is a popular singer, making their family house of talents. Harsh’s personal life has also been in the spotlight several times; he previously dated Pratishtha Sharma, an actor and content creator. He’s in a relationship, but in true mysterious Harshu style, he has kept his partner’s identity a secret!
Social Media Stats
- Instagram: @harshbeniwal – 6.7M followers
- Facebook: Harsh Beniwal Official – 4.1M followers
- Twitter: @iamharshbeniwal – 1M followers
- YouTube: Harsh Beniwal – 16.2M subscribers
Harsh Beniwal’s journey from a college student keen on performing to one of India’s biggest YouTubers and from acting in Bollywood to writing and directing his own YouTube series and films, Harshu continues to entertain millions.
For many, he’s more than a comedian; he’s an entertainer, a creator, and an honest person.