SadiqAhmed

Was acting always on the cards for you?

Yes, I’ve always been a very big fan of Bollywood, of Amitabh

Bachchan right since my childhood, so the passion and that acting bug was always there even during my student days and I did do modelling and acting on the college level. But then professionally it’s not always easy to pursue these dreams especially in this industry. There are responsibilities after studies, so these dreams were still there but went to the backseat. Later I moved to Dubai and it was here that social media gave me a chance to explore that passion of acting again. Some videos went viral, many commented that there are similarities with Salman Khan! Since I’m a huge fan of Bhai, I started making concept videos which convey messages, are entertaining and they all did well. So from the backseat, they became my road ahead! By God’s grace, I haven’t looked back since and then with the awards like I won from Filmfare Middle East, it’s like an acknowledgement that you are on the right path.

What’s been your biggest USP?

I feel the relatability is my strength. I make content that people relate to and connect strongly. Like I take simple yet daily happenings, between friends, couples, husbandwife and people enjoy that content. A lot of my videos also carry a social message so that also hits home. I prefer to keep things simple and straight from the heart.

Do you ever face mental blocks as a content creator?

Actually there’s so much to observe around and inspire you that it’s difficult to run out of ideas. And like I said, it’s about celebrating simple things, emotions and experiences in life.

How integral has Dubai been in your journey?

I worked very hard as a professional in Dubai, but COVID changed it all. That’s when I first got onto the social media. After those doors shut as a professional, these new doors opened on the social media. And within a span of three years, my journey in Dubai has brought me here and I’m finally living my dream. I believe that if your intentions are pure, your passion strong and your faith unwavering, then the universe does help you achieve that one wish!

The social message videos have become your signature style! Yeah, it has become my signature style actually to make a concept on a social cause. I like doing that. So it’s entertaining yet drives home a beautiful message.

As an influencer I think there’s a great responsibility too that we carry and if there are people looking up to you and watching and trying to follow what you do, then it’s our responsibility to spread happiness and also use the influence positively.

What about endorsing brands as an in uencer?

As an influencer I feel we have to be very responsible when it comes to promoting brands or associating yourself with any kind of campaign. I never do an endorsement just for money. Like I have been approached by so many brands to promote vape or shisha parlours, but I would never want to send out a wrong message to my viewers. There are kids watching, families involved so we owe it to them.

Who would you credit your success to?

When I started, nobody believed in me. It wasn’t easy for me too as I was very shy and would be very conscious shooting in public. But then, slowly I overcame that. My family too saw how serious I was about it, so they started supporting me and till date they are my biggest supporters.

What would be your advice to aspiring in uencers?

Be creative, be yourself and rather than trying to be someone else, be the best version of yourself. Try to do something different from other people. Initially I would to a large extent adopt mannerisms like Salman Sir. A lot of them found it entertaining, some even abused saying, ‘don’t try to be Salman Khan’ and ‘you cannot be Salman Khan.’ So there was a lot of demotivation too. So that taught me that instead of trying to become like him, I should start working like him! So I started making my own concepts dubbed in my own voice and that was the changing point. And that’s why I would advise the youngsters to be themselves.

A lot also resort to shortcuts?

Yes, often to gain instant followers, a lot of them resort to vulgar content, use cheap moves, abusive language… but there’s no longevity there. Like I do show jokes on wives, but there’s also a lot of respect for women in all my videos. It comes from my personal space too, that there is always a lot of respect for women, whether she’s a sister or wife or a stranger. If you want a Filmfare Middle East, then your quality cannot be compromised. You create your own brand and it is important to be a part of good respectable brands in the long run.

How did you deal with the trolls and all that demotivation?

They play a bigger role in your success than you know. They are the ones who push you to actually better yourself. So take that as positive feedback and work on it if they merit that or else ignore them and focus on your dreams instead.

What has changed as an in uencer in terms of getting a particular number of views?

I remember the first time I got 5K views on one of my videos and I was thrilled. And now it’s like Kya yaar, only 50K likes! That is the difference (laughs).

What’s the vision ahead?

We are working on a lot of short film formats for my YouTube channel. Within a year, the YouTube channel gained over 8 million followers and so many commented on wanting to see me in a movie, so we are taking baby steps with short films first. There’s also a full-fledged Bollywood script that we are working on.