“I wanted to bring out a platform in Kerala where content can be organised properly for viewers. That was the first step”

The digital media has taken Kerala by storm, albeit a tad late. Within the last couple of years, we have seen a flood of short films, YouTube channels, and web series play out by the dozen. However, none has been as successful as Karikku.

Even the most technically ignorant person in Kerala would have heard the name Karikku at least once within this last year. That’s how much the team behind the channel has risen in popularity. Their statistics in social media presence is testament to their fame – more than 2 million subscribers in less than a year since inception, Facebook page with 685K likes, and Instagram handle with around 950K followers. An impressive feat indeed!

Karikku started off in YouTube with short informative, news worthy videos that were sometimes taken in a light-hearted manner. They moved on to making and uploading their own videos, kickstarting with a short humorous production that rode on the World Cup fever last year. This foray was a hit with the Kerala youth and the demand to view these characters again prompted the team to come out with their comedy web series – Thera Paara – which has catapulted the characters the channel to fame on par with the film celebrities of Kerala.

But all this and more has been possible due to the diligence of one man off-screen – Nikhil Prasad.

Nikhil is the founder and creative head of Karikku, who sparked the flame and blew it into a wildfire, attracting fans at a rapid pace. Everything from the channel logo to the content creation, direction, camera and editing, Nikhil’s creative omnipotence is spread all over the YouTube Channel. Pratheesh Ramanathan, Nikhil’s friend is helping him in the office activities.

FWD delves a little deeper into Karikku, its founder, and the unheard nitty-gritties off camera.

The Captain of the Ship

“We are happy to have made a mark within the year. This was something we had hoped to achieve in 3-4 years, because, we had no idea we would be this popular within one year,” says Nikhil with a radiant smile, basking in the recognition the team has achieved in a span of nine months.

The digital tech in Kerala is moving through a golden period, however, the state hasn’t seen as much of worthy content online as other regional digital channels in India. Karikku has managed to grasp that drought and bring in a shower of recognition with hard work and good content.

How did it all start?

It wasn’t just a band of friends coming together to shoot some videos. Here, Karikku is the brainchild of Nikhil, and the actors are all his staff. For Nikhil, his 12 years of experience in media helped to mould a constructive team that would deliver something fresh and entertaining.

“Through my decade long stay in the media industry, I have seen the evolution of digital media,” explains Nikhil. “I used to work in North India where people use digital media quite a lot. And that business model is highly successful there. So, I was confident that success can be achieved in Kerala too.”

According to him, a major issue with the digital media in Kerala is that it wasn’t organised enough to cater to the needs of the audience.

“I wanted to bring out a platform in Kerala where content can be organised properly for viewers. That was the first step,” he answers when asked why he opted for a Malayalam channel.

Even though he was an experienced media professional for more than a decade, Nikhil says he is first and foremost a technical guy. That technical expertise has applications everywhere, especially content creation. When it comes to digital media, the expenses of creating content were far less than when it comes to television.

For online platforms, content is king as there is no huge expenses or large canvases for production. It was the knowledge of a clear content-driven formula that enabled Nikhil to understand how big it can grow successfully.

Karikku – The Name, Logo, & Dream

In Malayalam, tender coconut is called as Karikku. And what comes to mind when one thinks of a coconut? Freshness. And that was exactly what Nikhil was aiming for.

“I wanted a Malayali element in the name. Giving it a random English name or likewise won’t resonate with the viewers,” He says. “Before the name, we had created a tagline first.”

Feel The Freshness Inside.

That is Karikku’s tagline, which when thought of with eyes closed, conjures up a wave of fresh breeze.

“We were adamant in wanting that freshness to reflect in our content too,” smiles Nikhil.

When the logo was designed at the start, it was expressly angled towards giving off a clean vibe with a striking yellow colour.That stubbornness, Nikhil explained, existed since the creation of logo and its colour palette to how each episode was created.

Unchartered Territory, The Struggles & Challenges

Every new venture faces its share of struggles and challenges, and when in a family-oriented society like Kerala’s, the biggest challenge would sometimes be one’s own family. But for Nikhil, the way was quite clear.

“I believe if you have a solid roadmap for at least 4 years, and you are clear on what you need to do with proper planning, then the family will back you up,” he says.

When asked what his biggest challenge with Karikku was, Nikhil points towards his actors.

“It was finding them. The biggest struggle I felt when I started on this journey was finding the resources needed to make it all happen.”

It was quite an onerous job in trying to find the proper actors with respect to the content they had at hand. Majority of the Kerala youngsters are avid cine goers or short film enthusiasts. But Karikku was of a different breed, and looked for actors who would be conducive to that class of storytelling.

“We auditioned scores of kids for the right kind of characters. We have even cast those who came looking for jobs other than acting!” Nikhil remarks. “More than just being an actor, it is those who behave who have been cast in Karikku.”

Ask Nikhil whether he hasn’t considered presenting himself in front of the camera, and he chuckles.

“I have always been focused more on content creation, even during college days,” he reminisces. “I was more involved with editing and shooting, and even today I did rather be behind the camera than front of it.”

Nikhil hopes to find bigger talents in the future who would add to the natural acting talents that Karikku already houses.

Revenue

Digital media is a worldwide success when compared to the print media or television. Considering advertisements and commercials, presenting one online is far more lucrative for the company than running the ad on paper or television.

This is mainly due to the longevity of the ad placed. Once shown online, that advertisement will stay for a lifetime. In that regard, with respect to a content creator or an advertiser, investing in digital media always has a higher benefit.

Nikhil points out that the brands and companies in Kerala are vying digital media as growing business ground and aren’t hesitant in spending for it. As he puts it, its easier for brands to place their ads online based on their target group, whatever the demographic may be.

This is what Nikhil has shrewdly utilised for their channel. Karikku thrives majorly on the branding of companies which provides them their main source of income.

“In-video branding is the backbone of Karikku,” states Nikhil.

Contrary to what is normally done in YouTube videos and other platforms, Nikhil has cleverly integrated branding into his content. Be it about Kitex or Darsana Academy, the names and products roll out during the normal course of the story without the noticeable jerk of an advertisement.

Awards Galore

Kerala’s media industry doesn’t recognise digital platforms actively as a mainstream field. That aspect is about change with the advent of so many digital platforms racing forward with quality content.

Even in such a scenario, Karikku has managed to bag commendable recognition. Mazhavil Manorama awarded them with the Best Entertainer of the Year in Digital Media. Nikhil was also invited by Mathrubhumi to conduct a workshop as the founder of the fastest growing YouTube Channel.

The team is hopeful of gaining more honours as they grow.

The Way Forward

There’s a Thera Paara season 2 in the offing, slated for release next year. But Nikhil doesn’t want Karikku to be contained within the boundaries of a web series.

“We are looking to expand in the digital world with various verticals. We have already started moving forward with a branch dedicated to movies and music.”

What about a film?

Karikku has already announced Therapara movie project. It will be first-of-its-kind of venture for the team as well as for the audience. “Our fans have already started discussing about this in social media.” Nikhil’s eyes glints with a prophetic hope.