"I always aspired to be an actor and I was working towards it," says LuvAsh Ochani on today's Friday Follow feature.
There have always been times when we wonder what our path looks like especially when things are not going our way. At some point in time, most of us have thought of becoming an actor, but very few end up taking it as an important career path and work towards the silver screen dream. LuvAsh Ochani is one of the many people dreaming to make it big in the films. But like many, when the lockdown hit and he missed the chance to be in front of a camera, he turned to short video platforms to continue living his dream of sharing stories.
Hailing from Ulhasnagar, in Kalyan, LuvAsh is a true Mumbaikar at heart who enjoys his life as a full-time content creator now. Sharing relatable Reels that are a quip to his Sindhi mates, his journey began way back in 2013. Working towards his dream, he has been a part of the acting world by either writing scripts or dubbing. His acting credits include being part of various theatre projects in several languages in India and abroad and his short "I AM ENTERTAINMENT KI CHALTI FIRTI DUKAAN".
His creator journey was instigated by the lockdown, when he couldn't be in front of a camera. He decided to go behind the only camera he had at disposal, his phone and went with it. "Although I had very little technical knowledge, my passion for creativity fueled me to experiment and Create Original content…Reels were relatable new feature on Instagram back then and I took the opportunity to try out that feature." Ever since he started the same, LuvAsh found that his skills and content have evolved with time. "I fell in love with the process and continue to upskill myself."
It took the appreciation from his followers who love and enjoyed his content for him to take content creation seriously. LuvAsh who wasn't doing it full time to continue pursuing it. "Encouraged by the positive feedback I decided to pursue content creation full- time and since then I never looked back." What also adds to his excitement to being a part of this ever growing industry is how he went from being skeptical to having a reach of nearly 10 million.
From barely getting 1000 views to joing the millions of views club, if there is something that is the reason that makes his content reach so many people is how well his content has improved in terms of concepts, characters, quality, edits, and collaborations. "It has been a challenge to deliver so much in such a less time duration, it is difficult to entertain and engage the audience in less than a minute, bhai maggie ko bhi 2-minute lagte hai yaaar… but that's what makes me evolve as a creator."
To continue on this path and make the fans of his work happy, he does his best to find a way to be creative with his work. "Most of the time I live in my head, lost in my thoughts and while I'm there I play certain scenarios and whatever I enjoy the most I record it on my phone." Finding inspiration or looking for an idea is never a problem as he recalls how it comes to him at odd places and at odd times. "Ideas just pop up like a notification and sometimes I wish I could screenshot it." It has become easier for LuvAsh to find the motivation to continue doing what he does best. Most of it comes from his appreciation for people who are open to explore and consume new and experimental content. "That really motivates me to think out of the box and push the boundaries of my creativity."
While he is enjoying the love that he receives everyday for his content, there are creators he himself follows and admires. Listing down some of his favourites Neel Salekar aka Just Neel Things, Shantanu Ragnerkar, Sakshi Keswani aka Being Suku, & Danny pandit, he mentioned how he finds their content to be incredibly engaging and inspiring. He said, "As a fellow creator, I am constantly seeking new sources of inspiration."
It was through a random video that I came across his page and seeing the growth that he has shown in the little time that he has been in the digital space, I couldn't help but reach out to him for a feature. But in between our conversation, he mentioned something incredible about him that was too inspiring to miss. He talked about the railway tickets that he has collected since 2013 till now. When asked why he collects them, he said, "I collect these to know how long it took me to reach my dream." The 1000+ tickets including season passes is proof of him continue to pursue his dreams.
Since you started creating videos, what are the best and worst parts of content creation?
Creating content allows me that freedom to express myself creatively to do what I want, the way I want… I have full control over the creative process, it allows me to be whatever I want to be. However, lack of control over platform's algorithm, and fierce competition, you have to be consistent. A new creator is being born every minute, you cannot take long breaks, you have to be relevant, and even after doing everything right, you don't know how content would be received.
Who are the people that you look up to find inspiration?
Shah Rukh Khan is intelligent and lights up the room with his charming personality. He is not only a good actor but also a good orator and his presence of mind is next to none. I greatly admire his work and want to create a legacy like him. My mother is my personal inspiration. Her way of doing things and unwavering support have helped me through tough times. she is my creator, the one who gave me birth, we are more like best friends, she inspires me in many ways and also supports me in my content creation journey.
A quote that always motivates you.
Be like no one, embrace your uniqueness, and don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd.
Have you received any DM from your followers that stayed with you?
This DM from my family doctor who has seen me since childhood which goes like, "You are already famous here and I tell everyone I used to inject this chap when he was little… I'm so proud of you for what you are becoming, congrats Luv, keep it up soon you will be very famous… Thank you Dr jack and Shil for your blessings
To convert my reach into my followers. expand my presence across platforms. I aspired to be featured in a Netflix Special. Universe are you listening? ( Low-key hoping people at Netflix are also listening)
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