For all her ebullience, social media sensation Niharika NM is consistent and pragmatic
For all her ebullience, social media sensation Niharika NM is consistent and pragmatic
That Niharika NM is a social media star needs no proof. The cheers, claps and whistles she was greeted with when she took to the stage on Meta Creator Day at packed Hitex Exhibition Arena 2, demonstrated that she’s a darling of the internet.
Speaking to MetroPlus on the sidelines of the event, Niharika confesses she was a geeky student. “I wanted to be an ethical hacker. My one goal was to wear power suits, have a corporate life and walk around as if I own the place. Like Meryl Streep in Devil wears Prada.”
The digital content creator says being in the entertainment industry was never part of her plan. “Even now I don’t believe this is what I do for a living… But yes, I’m a content creator with an MBA degree specialising in digital marketing and entertainment along with roots in computer science engineering. I am very proud of all these degrees.”
Discussing what spurred her 47% new follower growth in 2022, she says, “Do what you like and feel comfortable. Be the trendsetter.’
Now that she is done with her studies in the US, Niharika plans to return to India in a couple of months. Once home in Bengaluru, she admits that she lets her mother take charge. “I just say ‘maa take over.’ I also have two little puppies, a maltese and a shih tzu. I snuggle with them because that really makes me feel like I am home… I don’t even unpack; I look for comfort food like curd rice, rasam rice or sambar.”
Discussing the fame and recognition she says, with her trademark giggle, ‘I ask myself to calm down and remind myself I am one from the crowd.”
Just like the fame, Niharika works on ensuring that the pressure does not get to her: “Burnout is real. There is no need to push beyond capacity. All the algorithm talk shouldn’t make us nervous,” she says. Then adds, “Taking a break is necessary to come back with a bang. I did take a break when I experienced burnout.” When she is not creating content for social media, Niharika says journaling is her outlet. “Because work keeps me so busy and I am travelling so often, self-care plans don’t fit into my schedule. I need to be consistent in something, so journaling is my thing. Also, while travelling, I stay in the same hotel; that makes me a little familiar with my surroundings. Travelling and being out of home, make me dependent on people I don’t know. I am in cities where my friends are colleagues. So I try to keep my surroundings familiar so that it doesn’t spiral out of place.”
Niharika with Mahesh Babu in her Instagram post during the promotion of Sarkaru Vaari Paata
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Niharika has collaborated with south Indian actors like Mahesh Babu (when promoting Sarkaru Vaari Paata and Major) and Vijay Devarkonda (for Liger). While she says working with Vijay was like meeting a buddy, the collaboration with Mahesh Babu was the biggest surprise. “I am a big Mahesh Babu fan so I don’t think I can even explain what it meant to me.”
Speaking about the importance of collaborations for content creators, Niharika said “There is no secret recipe. Just go ahead and ask. If you are refused, you don’t have to talk about it but imagine if the collab comes through! Try, try, try again may seem like a cliche, but trust me, it works.”
