Odisha’s Isak Munda, a daily wage labourer has become an internet sensation with his Youtube channel.

When COVID struck the world, Isak lost his job. “I worked as a daily wager and earned about Rs 250 a day. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, earning even that amount halted,” he says, adding that he felt helpless as he had to figure out a way to feed his family.

So when he heard that one can earn money by making videos on YouTube, he decided to try it. He started making videos of him eating various traditional Odia cuisine.

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Isak uploaded his first YouTube video in March 2020 where he can be seen eating rice with lentils, greens, tomatoes, and chillies. “Initially, nobody watched my videos, but slowly, people started visiting my profile,” he shares.

Soon, one of his videos where he relishes basi pakhala — a fermented rice dish popular in Odisha — went viral and got him over 20,000 subscribers.

“It was a Dream to see my videos being watched in the US, Brazil, Mongolia, etc,” says Isak, who is now a social media star, also praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mann Ki Baat.

“Today, I earn about Rs 3 lakh when my videos perform well. I bought a laptop for editing my videos and also a second-hand car. Today, I am giving my family a life that we never even dreamed of,” he shares.

Edited by Pranita Bhat