It has become a common phenomenon in the digital age: undiscovered talent finds fame online. But this tech-centric, rags-to-riches story isn’t quite the same, because Gangavva Milkuri is not your typical YouTube star.
The grandmother of eight — who doesn’t know her real age, because there’s no record of her birth — hails from the small village of Lambadipally in Telangana, a state in southern India. She’s the star of My Village Show, a YouTube channel with 1.5 million subscribers — and counting.
The channel was started in 2012 by her son-in-law Srikanth Sriram, a filmmaker. A team of nine, including writers, editors and camerapeople, create comedic sketches about village culture and rural family life.
Gangavva, popularly known by her first name, says she had no idea what YouTube was before Sriram started the show. “(He) used to film plants and trees in the village. I used to think, “Why is this boy wasting his time making videos?” I never imagined in my life that one day I would be in his videos!”
Gangavva started off making guest appearances in the sketches and became more involved in 2017, which is when the show took off.
“She acts very naturally before the camera,” says Sriram, adding that this appeals to her fans. He says that because Gangavva is illiterate, the crew has to explain the scripts to her. But it’s this unrehearsed nature that lets her charm shine.
“I think people like the way I talk,” says Gangavva. “I am an old lady, you know, and I’m not educated.”