#KetchupTalks: Chief dosa inspector and full time Kurta enthusiast, Vividh the Kurta Guy spills deets about his name and more

From the mystery behind his moniker, the Kurta Guy, discussing topical moments and finding balance between being witty and sensitive, Vividh opens up with us.

Sitting down to review, rate and talk about dosa all around the world in a signature way that is a mix of humour and facts sounds like a fun content series that you can sit and watch for hours. Luckily for Vividh, it has become something that gave him digital recognition, making him the infamous "Kurta Guy" of the internet. There are only a few people who have managed to turn their content into their own brand. Vividh found his own brand with his kurta and a storytelling style that is glazed in humour and fact. The fact that he is known by his online personality as The Kurta Guy rather than Vividh is enough. But how did this title come about? What’s the story behind the first kurta post that started it all?

"It actually started as a music band called “The Kurta Guys,” which, believe it or not, lasted all of two months. Once the band dissolved, I just kept the moniker and went on with life." As someone who has always been a big fan of kurtas and has a massive collection, kurta turned into a visual signature for him that instantly helped with his branding, allowing him to stand out on people’s feeds. "When I eventually started creating content, that name and habit suddenly became a huge advantage. While everyone was experimenting with styles, I showed up in a colourful kurta. It became my differentiator." 

As he continues to be recognised as The Kurta Guy with his look evolving along with his content, he decided to share a bit more about this journey in the online space with us.

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A post shared by Vividh 2.0 (@thekurtaguy)

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Here's what he had to share:

Ethnic menswear still has fewer influencership voices compared to western menswear. How do you see “The Kurta Guy” filling that gap?

That’s actually one of the big reasons I leaned into the Kurta Guy identity. When I looked around, there were plenty of creators experimenting with streetwear, sneakers, and western fits, but very few making ethnic menswear feel cool, confident, and everyday. For me, the kurta isn’t just festive wear; it’s something you can live in from brunches to shoots to just sitting at home editing videos. Through my content, I wanted to normalise that, to show that ethnic wear can be expressive, stylish, and modern. If The Kurta Guy can make even a few more men look at their kurtas as everyday wear instead of “once-a-year Diwali outfits,” then that’s a win. It’s about representing comfort and culture in the same frame and doing it with a bit of humour and personality

Has being “The Kurta Guy” ever overshadowed your personal identity?

Not really, I think it’s more of an extension of who I am than something separate. The Kurta Guy might be the on-screen persona, but it’s still me behind it, the same person who loves food, humour, and storytelling. The kurta just became the lens through which people discovered that side of me. Of course, there are moments when people only recognise the “character” before the person, but I take that as a compliment. It means the brand has become strong enough to stand on its own. The key for me is to keep evolving and letting bits of my real personality shine through the content, so the lines between Vividh and The Kurta Guy stay blurred in the best way possible

Do you ever feel pressured to stick to kurtas, or do you enjoy being boxed into that identity?

I wouldn’t say I feel pressured; it’s more like a fun box that I chose to decorate myself. The Kurta Guy identity started out naturally and over time became a part of my brand, but I’ve never looked at it as a limitation. The kurta gives me a strong visual identity, but the storytelling, humour, and relatability are what really define the content. So even if I’m wearing a kurta, the topics can go anywhere from pop culture and food to everyday absurdities. That said, I do enjoy pushing the boundaries of that identity. I’ve played around with prints, styles, and even contexts to show that kurtas can evolve just like creators do.

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Your Dosa Reacts Series became a hit because of how relatable yet quirky it is. How did that idea spark?

It actually started when a friend sent me a video of a masala dosa being completely mutilated with ice cream. I couldn’t process what I was watching, so I just did a random reaction video for fun and that one clip suddenly took off. At the time, I was also looking for an interesting extension to The Kurta Guy brand, something that felt organic and still connected to my roots. Dosa Reacts became that perfect bridge; it tied in my personality, my humour, and my love for South Indian food. Over time, it turned into a signature series people now tag me in every bizarre dosa experiment they find. So, along with The Kurta Guy, I’ve officially earned the title of The Dosa Guy, too. Not sure which one’s stronger at this point!

What’s your favourite dosa reaction moment so far and which one got the funniest audience response?

There are so many, but honestly, my favourites are always the ones with perfectly made, traditional dosas. As much as we all love collectively roasting the weird ones like ice cream or Oreo dosas, there’s something so satisfying about reacting to that perfect golden crisp dosa being made the right way. The audience responses to those are the best, too. People comment things like, “Finally, justice for dosa!” or “This one restored my faith in humanity.” It’s funny how something as simple as a dosa can unite everyone, whether it’s anger, nostalgia, or pure joy; it’s always emotional in the Dosa Reacts universe

A lot of your posts tap into topical moments with humour. How do you decide what to pick and what to let go?

I think timing and tone are everything when it comes to topical content. I’m always observing what’s trending, but I don’t jump on everything just because it’s viral. The first question I ask is, “Can I add something new or funny to this without forcing it?” If the answer is yes, I go for it. If not, I let it go. Sometimes, silence is smarter than participation. Not every trend or headline needs a take, especially if it doesn’t align with my tone or the world I’ve built. My goal is to keep things light, clever, and relatable without losing the Kurta Guy flavour. So I’d say it’s a mix of instinct, relevance, and fit. If a trend can be filtered through humour and still feel authentic to me, that’s when it makes the cut.

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What’s the balance you try to strike between being witty and being sensitive to issues?

That’s something I’m very conscious about. Humour can be a powerful tool, but it also comes with responsibility. My rule is simple: the joke should always be about something, never at someone’s expense. I try to make sure the humour comes from observation, not from putting anyone down. If there’s even a slight chance it might hurt or alienate someone unnecessarily, I drop it. There’s always a smarter or funnier way to make the same point. So the balance lies in intent. I can be witty, sarcastic, or even savage, but the tone should still feel light-hearted and inclusive. At the end of the day, I want people to laugh with me, not feel laughed at.

Do you ever worry about humour ageing quickly online, or do you see that as part of the fun?

Honestly, that’s part of the fun. Humour online is always evolving, what’s funny today might be old news tomorrow and I think that’s what keeps it exciting. You have to evolve with it. I see it less as something to worry about and more as a creative challenge. The formats, memes, and references might change, but if your storytelling and voice stay strong, you’ll always find new ways to connect. So for me, it’s not about chasing what’s current, it’s about adapting while still keeping my tone and humour intact.

What role do you think Indian culture and nostalgia play in your content?

A pretty big one, actually. I’m a millennial, so I grew up in that in-between phase where we played outside in the sun during summer holidays, but also watched the internet slowly take over. A lot of my humour comes from that overlap, the mix of old-school Indian values and our slightly confused, modern-day selves. These are the small, familiar things that instantly connect people. For me, it’s not just about making people laugh, it’s about reminding them of where we all came from, in the most relatable way possible.

If you could collaborate with any creator/celebrity for a kurta + humour crossover, who would it be?

Honestly, I’d collaborate with my younger self or my future self. My younger self had all the curiosity and chaos that got me here, and my future self probably has all the clarity I’m still chasing. It’d be the perfect mix of confusion and confidence, and probably a very entertaining collab.

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Have you been following his content too? Let us know in the comments below what you love about his storytelling.