You may know Lucknow for its exquisite handicrafts, intricate textile, rich culture, or iconic chikankari embroidery. But the City of Nawabs, Lucknow, also brings people who dared to dream big and pursue their passion. These influencers may be from a small city, but they have made it big! So, buckle up as we share each of their unique stories of hard work and perseverance, which makes their journey even more inspiring.

1) Vaibhav Kundra (@vaibhavkundra):

Instagram: 3.9M followers

He believes that there is no such thing as luck and credits his success thus far to God alone. From music to production, he can do it all. Vaibhav began his social media journey by covering other artists, and his melodious voice left netizens craving more. Motivated by this, he began focusing on making his own music. From the composition behind the music to its tonality, he puts his heart and soul into his music, and his hard work and talent have gained him 3.9M followers on Instagram and 108K followers on Facebook. He was recently recognized as the “top rising creator” by Facebook and has collaborated with T-Series for songs such as “Pyaar Ho Gaya” and many more!

2) Meethika Dwivedi (@the_sound_blaze)

Instagram: 2.8M followers

Youtube: 73.9K subscribers

She claims to have started making comedy videos as a joke (ironic) since she was 15 years old. She gained massive popularity during the COVID lockdown and is one of India’s fastest-growing comedy influencers. Her videos, which depict everyday scenarios, are so relatable that they leave her audience thinking, ‘Why didn’t we think about it before?’. She has great comedic timing, and her Hindi content has helped her appeal to a large audience that relate to her videos.

Today, she has 2.8M followers on Instagram. She has even launched her podcast show in collaboration with Spotify called ‘Meetha aur Teekha with Meethika,’ where she brought on prominent influencers and asked them questions ranging from sugar and spice to everything nice. Her youth-centric content has made her popular among the younger generation. She realized the gravity of content creation when what she started as a joke ended up catching the attention of actor Arbaaz Khan, and he arranged a meeting. Today, she has collaborated with actors such as Manoj Bajpayee, Jimmy Shergill, Rajkumar Rao, and even with big brands like Star Sports. Recently, she also partnered with the official ‘Lucknow Super Giants’ IPL team!

3) MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria (@masterchefpankajbhadouria)

Instagram: 2M followers

YouTube: 2.03M followers

She is India’s first MasterChef and calls herself a food traveller, TV host, author, and, most importantly, a mother. Today, she has 2M followers on Instagram alone, sharing everything from easy and healthy recipes to using her social media platform to stand up for what she believes in. She also constantly posts trivia questions that leave her audience puzzled and curious for more! Today, she inspires many women as she has managed to find the balance between her professional career, personal life, content creation for social media, and sponsored brand collaborations. Her channel is a constant for women and men alike who seek to improve their cooking skills and her easy hacks to recipes will help you appear as a pro, even if you aren’t!

4) Maroof Umar (@maroofculmen):

Instagram: 464K followers

YouTube: 5.12K subscribers

Maroof has made it his mission and obsession to find art at the root of life, in experiences and people. He founded ‘Culmen Creative,’ a team of graphic designers that help business owners transform their businesses through powerful brand demonstration. His creative videography skills are “Art” personified. Simply scrolling through his feed will give you a glimpse of Lucknow through his lens. He exposes his audience to a side of Lucknow like never seen before.

His work has not only brought Lucknow’s beauty to a wider audience but also inspired many local artists to showcase their talent. Maroof has collaborated with several brands and actors, and his talented work has been appreciated and recognized all over. He has a series called ‘Stories by Maroof Culmen,’ which is a work of art, and he has successfully managed to expose his audience to the beauty of Lucknow, including even the minor parts that are often overlooked. His carefully shot and documented short-films act as a digital archive, preserving the beauty of Lucknow for future generations to behold. He has single-handedly brought to the forefront the beauty that the incredible ‘City of Nawabs’ holds.

5) Jafry Eats (@jafryeats):

Instagram: 147K followers

Youtube: 1.73K subscribers

Lucknowi cuisine is as much of a treat to the eyes as it is to your tastebuds! And if you’re trying to explore Lucknowi cuisine, then his page is the place to run to. He exposes his audience to the rich cultural cuisine that Lucknow has to offer, all while enjoying himself in the process. Be it hearty mukbangs, to food on a budget or finding the best eateries in his city, Jafry never fails to appreciate his town and is proud to share his rich culture and cuisine with his audience. Today, he has 147k followers on Instagram and continues to share the joy of Lucknow’s hearty cuisine with them.

Be it scenic beauty, tasty cuisine, rich cultural heritage, or iconic spots to visit, the beautiful city of Lucknow has it all. If you’ve never been there and want to explore, or if you’re looking to visit, then these influencers will make your experience so much more enthralling! The beauty of Lucknow, as showcased by these influencers, is sure to leave you intrigued and wanting to explore more.

YouTube FanFest India is returning to Mumbai on August 1st, 2024! As Prajakta Koli, AKA MostlySane, teased on Instagram yesterday, this year “bohot kadak lineup hai!”

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Marking the 16th year of the localized YouTube FanFest in India, the event promises to be just as electrifying as ever. YouTube India recently unveiled some of the creator and artist lineup on their official handle, and let’s just say, you’re in for a treat!

Who will you be seeing?

Here’s a glimpse of the incredible talent gracing the stage at YouTube Fanfest India 2024:

• The Vixens Crew
• Payal Gaming
• Mortal
• Kaash Plays
• Suhani Shah
• Kavita’s Kitchen
• Mythpat
• Nagma Virajkar
• Fukra Insaan
• Thugesh
• Jonita Music
• Team Naach
• W.i.S.H.
• Gurleen Pannu
• Prajakta Koli (MostlySane)
• KING
• Be YouNick
• Seedhe Maut
• Sunidhi Chauhan
• Aashish Solanki

Just like last year, the event is expected to be livestreamed globally, allowing fans worldwide to experience the magic. But for those lucky enough to score tickets for the live event in Mumbai, prepare to witness your favorite creators and artists up close and personal!

Calling all superfans! Keep your eyes peeled for the release of special superfan tickets, which will grant a lucky few front stage access and the chance to meet and greet their favorite stars!

Stay tuned for more exciting updates about YouTube FanFest Mumbai 2024 on The Reelstars. This is one event you definitely don’t want to miss!

India’s art forms continue to evolve while preserving the country’s rich traditions. Talented artists are now taking to social media to showcase their talents. These Instagram artists spin magic with rangoli, paint, cloth and practically anything that’s close at hand!

Here’s The Reelstars sharing a few popular artists, painters, and sketchers who blow the minds of followers with their creations. Take a look!

Dhrisha Suroiwal

Drisha is a rangoli artist who creates intricate designs and faces on the surface of water. Rangoli creations are typically etched on the ground with coloured powders, flowers, or rice. However, creating rangoli patterns on water requires much patience and a steady hand. The results are mesmerizing. Drisha recently created a rangoli pattern that featured stand up comic Bharti Singh and her son.

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Punam Choudhary

Punam is an artist and illusionist, who is quite popular on Instagram for her creations. She specialises in executing 3D designs on streets that look almost lifelike.

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A post shared by Punam Choudhary (@punamartacademy)

Maadhvan Goyal

Artist Maadhvan’s paintings are divine to watch. He sketches paintings of deities that convey spiritual and cultural meanings in the narratives of Hindu mythology.

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A post shared by Maadhvan Goyal (@mk_goyal_art)

Rob

Rob is a popular Goa based artist known for his dynamic and energetic style, often incorporating vivid colors and bold brushstrokes in his artworks. He is known for creating something unique out of waste products. He recently made a portrait of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar out of soda cans.

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Shintu Mourya

Give Shintu some chocolate, gutka, boxes, fruits, and vegetables, and he can create a painting from anything. With 1 million followers on Instagram, Shintu has taken the internet by storm with new creations each time. In this video, he has made a painting of cricketer Hardik Pandya and his wife Natasa Stankovic with the help of toothpaste.

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