I love the idea of having the freedom to create content and make people smile: Chandni Bhabhda

Chandni Bhabhda holds a law degree, is a mimicry artist, VJ, content creator and actor.

Chandni Bhabhda, renowned for her exceptional mimicry skills under the name Chandni Mimic, has gained widespread recognition for her precise imitation of actor Alia Bhatt. From a young age, Bhabhda showcased her talent by mimicking teachers and relatives in front of the camera, considering it her “best friend”. The 24-year-old, who embarked on her journey in comedy content creation in 2016, holds a law degree, is a mimicry artist, VJ and actor. Bhabhda is featured in the recently premiered comedy show Constable Girapde on Amazon mini tv. Her impersonation videos of Bhatt have garnered millions of views and likes, even earning recognition from the star herself, who reposted some of them.

In a conversation with Forbes India, Bhabhda talks about her journey in content creation, growing competition, brand collaborations and more. Edited excerpts:

Q. How and when did you start your journey?
A lot of people don’t know this, but I started very young, in 2016, while I was in school. Growing up, I didn’t have many friends. The one friend dear to me was the camera, and I loved acting and recording myself on it. While making videos for fun, I was doing multiple things—I was also studying to become a lawyer, I was a video jockey, and I hosted live shows. Through all this, I realised that I love the idea of having the freedom to create content and make people smile. After I completed five years of studying law, I had two options—I could either continue with a career in law or with content creation and see where it goes. I chose the latter and it has been amazing since.

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Q. How difficult was it to convince your parents that you wanted to pursue content creation as a profession?
It was surely difficult, but I think it is important to understand their perspective. Their concern does not come from a place of wanting to dictate your life, but from a perspective of possessiveness. They want to see that you have a stable career, and that you’re happy. But it's also important to sometimes listen to what your heart says and just go with that instead of following the tried and tested. Corporate jobs can give you financial stability which you can’t always say is the case in our field. It could be that right now I'm earning too much, but cut to the next few months, I might not be earning at all. So, I think there are pros and cons to it. After I got my law degree, I asked my parents to give me two years. I told them, “In two years, if you don't see this happening, I'm going to do whatever you want me to do.”

Q. What is your process of creating content?
I'm spontaneous person. I don’t plan much. Ideas randomly come to my mind, and I start shooting. Sometimes, I just become the character I want to portray—I wear the clothes, I change the accent and just roll the camera. I think some of my best work comes from these spontaneous shoots.

Also read: I make content because I think this is the best way for me to be happy: Vishnu Kaushal

Q. What are your thoughts on competition in the field? What do you think makes your content stand out?
I don’t see competition that way at all. I feel extremely proud of the community. We are doing everything, we are everywhere—doing web shows, movies, brand promotions etc. I think everyone is excelling and this is a community growth. And I want more and more people to get into content creation.

Q. Can you tell us about your brand collaborations, and how do you choose them?
I think there are two perspectives to consider when it comes to brand collaborations. One is the creative perspective in which I make sure what the brand wants matches with the content I create, and one is the brand perspective for which I make sure that I deliver, keeping in mind my responsibilities towards both the brand and my followers. I try my best to deliver the views and the shares that they are expecting for a promotional video.

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Q. What are some of the milestones that you think you've achieved so far?
I think getting the web series Constable Girpade is one of my biggest achievements so far. I have wanted to act since I was a kid, and I would love to work more towards a growth in my acting career while making content.

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