Having showcased their comic acumen in a wide range of clips, the ‘Chagala Boys’ Akash Baghar and Samar Pratap Nayak are back with ‘Bhubaneswar Bula Buli’, a YouTube series conceptualised by Orissa POST LIVE. The dynamic duo shares its take on digital content and potential of the state in an exclusive chat with Arindam Ganguly of Orissa POST. Excerpts
You are collaborating with OrissaPOST Live on a new series ‘Bhubaneswar Bula Buli’. What is it all about?
Akash: The series is about places in Bhubaneswar that you cross twice everyday and yet never paused to ask ‘Why is this chowk named so?’
Samar: BBB is essentially the hitchhikers’ guide to Bhubaneswar. It’s our homage to the temple city which doesn’t try to take itself too seriously.
What kind of content do you think youngsters are looking for in the digital sphere? Is Bhubaneswar Bula Buli a step in the right direction?
Akash: Content in English/Odia relevant to youngsters is missing in Odisha. This is a mere attempt in this direction.
Samar: I think people look for content which is honest and resonates with us. While watching Rocky and Mayur as a teenager, I used to think ‘These folks need to come down to Odisha and explore every corner!”. Cut to 2019 and we are doing BBB. Life imitates art after all!
Do you feel Odisha has the potential to grow into a big content producing center in the future?
Akash: Definitely. Consumers need to show the will to consume local. The word local has always been considered synonymous with low quality. Hopefully young content creators of the state can dispel this myth. I’m glad that Orissa Post has taken the initiative to not only discover talent but also give them a platform to put their work out for the world to witness.
Samar: Odisha has always been a land of untapped potential. I see much talent laying dormant and scattered around the state. A kid who beat boxes in a nondescript village is content, a rapper from western Odisha who gives Raftaar a run for his money is content and two morons from Bhubaneswar exploring the city and asking equally moronic questions is also content!
How do you know each other? Are you fulltime YouTubers?
Akash: We knew each other through comedy open mics. We aren’t full time YouTubers. It would be an ideal scenario where we are though.
Samar: I met Akash at a random comedy open mic. Even though I lost the event, I won a best friend, confidant and ‘Chagala’ business partner. To be honest, we are not yet fulltime YouTubers! I and Akash are into marketing and branding which puts the food on our table. Youtube is, for the lack of a better word, our passion. One for the stomach, one for the heart!
Recount some funny moments while making the episodes for Bhubaneswar Bula Buli.
Akash: Those have been captured on camera. They are very much a part of the episodes. Wait for it to roll out!
Samar: A tiny monkey who I named Montu Mohanty decided to sneak up on me from behind for a surprise cuddle in the middle of a shot. After 15 minutes of unconditional ‘bromance’, he was unceremoniously distracted by a passerby who bribed him with a banana.
