If you don’t know Mallika Dua and claim to be hooked to social media, then you clearly aren’t doing justice to the high-speed internet connection you have subscribed to. She is Internet’s sweetheart and claims to be living her dream ‘one-hundred percent’. Listening to her talk is like sitting for a scene-to-scene narrative of the juiciest gossip session ever. It is no surprise that she has people across age groups hooked on to her content on Instagram and YouTube. It is no wonder she has millennials’ undivided attention at ‘Skyauz me, I am kyaut’.
“But you know what? I love being called Mallika didi after I essayed the character of a parlour didi. I tried it without thinking much. The way viewers related to it is amazing. I absolutely enjoy being called Mallika didi. It makes me understand that I have tugged the right chord,” says Mallika.
Currently shooting for Indoo ki Jawani with Kiara Advani in the lead, this multi-talented actor is thrilled to be doing what she enjoys most: acting. She is not someone who enjoys or gave much thought to academics; come rain or shine, she would happily find herself in some extra-curricular activity during her student days. Music class was important and so was taking part in different acting projects in school and college.
Mallika, daughter of journalist Vinod Dua, is opinionated and makes her voice heard through her posts. “However, I am an over-thinker. That is how I come up with most of the content I strongly feel about,” she says. Which in some way doubles up as a selfish motive, she believes.
Acting is love
With more than 768k followers on Instagram and more than 55.6K on YouTube, Mallika is conscious not to turn her social media pages into a billboard. “That is also because I am aware of the way brands exploit,” she reasons. She is a major advocate for self-care, too, given the saturating nature of social media — if her November 18 Instagram post is anything to go by which says, “You need to be kinder to yourself too. Stress is great till you feel the pulse.”
Having come from a home of professionals, Mallika says taking up extra-curricular activities was not for name’s sake. “My sister and I considered our music classes as very important. That is why since I loved acting, I decided to get a degree in theatre acting, also why I was not ready to come to Mumbai to struggle, have my heart broken and return. I was not up to letting anyone determine what I should do or where I must act,” she says.
Mallika however, attributes her internet screen presence to Indian ads and her stint in an agency where she got to put her creativity and content to test. “I consider those as my most important days. I worked with various brands and also got to do theatre. My bosses were very good and allowed me to leave work so that I could attend theatre rehearsals and auditions as well,” she recollects.
The turning point
That was when Mallika did the ‘Sh*t People Say: Sarojini Nagar Edition’ video for YouTube channel alittleanarky. “It was in 2016, we just did something and it went viral. 3.2 million views! That was the changing point, and I am not neglecting my ad agency stint in saying so,” she adds.
Mallika is appreciative of the third avenue popularity but adds, “At the same time, I want to move forward at my own pace. When I decided to be on my own, someone told me ‘be sure not to get sucked into other people’s vision for great output,” says Mallika.
Most of her posts also show how her dad keeps her grounded. “He told me: ‘pace yourself like a marathon runner, not a sprinter who will burn out in the long run’. I absolutely live by it. I post when I have content, not because I want visibility or get bogged by the pressure to trend,” she smiles.
- Koffee with Karan
- Midnight misadventures with Mallika Dua
- Social media star with Janice Sequiera
- By Invite Only with Renil
- House Tour with Renil
