Dhruv Rathee is a prominent Indian YouTuber recently praised by the Indian audience and criticised by pro-Hindutva and BJP followers. During the era of the BJP-led government, he has constructed a unique space in online content, particularly during the Lok Sabha elections. His journey began in 2013 with travel vlogs, but Rathee's channel evolved into a platform for social and political commentary. Today, he boasts a massive following with more than 18 million subscribers and is recognized as a leading voice for social activism in India.
Rathee has been sharing his bold political takes for a long time now, but one of his videos, ‘Is India Becoming a Dictatorship?', which went viral just before the Lok Sabha polls, gained him 1.3 lakh subscribers within a day.
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Initially, Rathee's YouTube channel showcased his travel experiences. These vlogs likely helped him build a base audience and hone his video creation skills. However, he soon felt compelled to delve deeper.
Recognising YouTube's potential for social discourse, Rathee transitioned towards creating videos that addressed critical issues. He began by tackling social and political topics relevant to India, often employing a fact-checking and explanatory approach. This shift proved to be a turning point, attracting a wider audience interested in informed discussions on pressing matters.
Raised in a middle-class family in Haryana's Rohtak, the 29-year-old Rathee has said in one of his videos that he had little interest in politics until he became acquainted with the India Against Corruption movement in 2011, spearheaded by Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal. Back then, the Congress was in power, and Rathee is no fan of that party either. In a video titled ‘The Real Story of Dhruv Rathee’ last year, he pronounced himself as “100% anti-Congress.”
He made his video on YouTube, 'The Real Story of Dhruv Rathee,' which described his childhood, where he was born, and what his dad used to do when he was young. Rathee says he made his first video in 2003 through a webcam.
The Real Story of Dhruv Rathee
When a controversial Hindi film called 'The Kerala Story' began making waves in May last year, Rathee made a 23-minute video in which he argued that the film pushed a government narrative by falsely promoting an Islamophobic conspiracy theory.
On his website, the Germany-based mechanical engineering graduate calls himself a “YouTube educator, activist, and travel vlogger” committed to making “objective, concise, and simplified explanations of complex issues on a variety of subjects.”