Social media star Arshlan Ali Siddique aka Shaikhsaif_07 garnered an enviable following and is counted among the biggest social media celebs of our times
In the strange universe of social media, success does not exactly depend on looks, mind-blowing talent (or at least, talent the way we traditionally define it!), years of studies, useful connections or even that much-abused word – nepotism! What determines your social (media) status is your list of followers – people who hang on to your every gesture, are fans of your every creation and who show their deep affection for you by simply clicking ‘like’. The more the likes, the more the followers, the bigger your success! It may or may not last but while it does, it offers a fantastic ride, so no complaints!
Currently, it’s the proverbial ‘15-seconds of fame phase’ that has taken the world by storm. Also called Josh aap . The josh planet consists of men and women making funny faces, mouthing dubbed dialogues, creating music and super short films, and in the process, connecting to millions around the world. Arguably, josh is the only made-in-India app that doesn’t have a negative sentiment attached to it in the present COVID atmosphere.
India, ever ready to leapfrog into the digital revolution, leads the Josh market, with reportedly 100 million app installs. And guess who is the new star of this world – a young Patna boy who, hold your breath, boasts of 400k followers! On Instagram, he has 25k followers, more than some of the biggest A-list Bollywood stars. In fact, the craze he generates may put a few of our actors to shame. Meet Arshlan Ali Siddique aka Shaikhsaif_07, the Josh app superstar whose mind-boggling story is a fine example of the incredible powers of social media.
The turning point, says Arshlan, came during a meetup to Gandhi maidan for an event. The organizer had predicted a turnout of around 1000-1200 people. To everyone’s surprise, there were about 4000 youngsters, screaming his name. The reason: he had posted a video just before the show that somehow had the hotel’s background. His ‘followers’ rushed to meet him. “That’s the first time I realized we were doing something right,” he says.
It didn’t take long for his life to change, and in the last two years, Arshlan and his boys were showered with massive social media love. The bigger transformation came when they were signed on by a digital media company which helped them organize themselves better. Soon they were making videos by the dozen but with more consciousness about the algorithms and techniques.
Arshlan knowledge of Josh aap and Instagram algorithms is impressive. “The better your algorithm, the more you will be searched,” he says, like a true expert. He is a self-taught social media maverick, driven purely by the desire for fame. “I never thought of money, all I wanted was that I should get recognized for my videos. I had this burning desire that when you scroll up and down, I should be the one popping up on your phone the maximum number of times. Once I learnt the permutations and combinations, we worked hard and made even 14-15 videos a day.” And while it may seem all easy and hunky-dory to post 15-second videos, Faisu insists the reality different. “There is a lot that goes behind it. You have to be regular in your updates. Also, do not expect your videos to fetch immediate results. What you do now, will pay off two years later. But the results will definitely be there, that’s the beauty of the platform. Everyone wins, nobody loses. Par mehnat karna padta hai.
His and his band of boys’ mehnat has paid off big time. Arshlan is now approached by brands to promote their products. In the new era of digital marketing, it’s people like him who are the celeb ambassadors for apparel, phones and film songs. He has been invited for shows and he travels around the world. He has also been roped in to spread awareness about Coronavirus and promote the Aarogya Setu App of the government of India. Yes, the government needs Josh stars too!
Instagram: https://instagram.com/shaikhsaif_07?utm_medium=copy_link
Josh aap: https://share.myjosh.in/profile/4