Financially Cut Off, This Coorg Girl Used Content Creation To Fulfil Dreams

Rida Tharana has been a buzzworthy figure on social media. As a content creator, she comes across as what one would call the “main character,” living a life that many would kill for, with a travel vlog here and a brand collab there. So it was a given that Tharana, possessing her usual radiant charm, was the first choice to play the character of a yearned love interest in a recently released music video.

“One of the things that I've always wanted to do was to star in a music video. I wanted to play a happy girl having a good time, living her best life," she said. But starring in a music video is not the only dream that Rida Tharana has fulfilled. Coming from a small town, Rida Tharana always dreamt of a life where she was "on the run". In conversation with SheThePeople, she opens up about her challenges of making a place for herself in the city and how content creation helped her forge her identity. 

Fulfilling Little Rida's Dreams

Tharana credited her journey to becoming a renowned content creator to little Rida, saying that her driving force has always been the urge to make her childhood dreams come true. Coming from an economically less fortunate family and growing up in a small town in Karnataka's Kodagu (Coorg) district, Tharana always wanted a life where she could explore the world and its opportunities without having to think twice.

"Every time I am doing something cool without having to think twice I always feel like 'Oh my god, little Rida manifested this.' I've always wanted to be a girl who's in Bangalore one day, then Mumbai the next day, and then Lucknow some other day. Basically, I always wanted to be a girl who is always on the run and now that I have that life, I feel like I've done little Rida proud," she exclaimed.

Tharana said that she has observed that most people, especially women, usually look back on their childhood dreams or future selves with apprehension. She stated that she wants people to change that. "I feel like little Rida has done the best. If it wasn't for her, I don't think I would be here. If it wasn't for her climbing up, and if it wasn't for her constantly giving it a shot and not giving up, I don't think I would have been living my twenties like this at all," she said.

At 25 years old, now is the time Tharana is finally living her child-like life without having to worry about anything, she expressed. She said, "I feel like I grew up too fast," having to take responsibility at a young age and waiting for a breakthrough. However, she added, "I am forever and eternally grateful to little Rida. I hope I do justice to her dreams."

Small-Town Girl Woes

Tharana hails from an environment where big dreams were not seen as a positive quality in a girl when she was growing up. Moreover, she suffered from self-image issues as a child, comparing herself to her privileged classmates. As hard as it is to believe, Tharana said that she was underconfident and shy in her school days and was not given the opportunity to participate in school events because she wasn't a topper. "I shivered to death at the thought of going on stage," she expressed.

She then went against her parents' wishes and moved to Bengaluru for her high school (11th and 12th). It was there that she garnered the confidence to go out of her comfort zone and take the stage as a model and emcee. "I realised that if I don't take the opportunity I will not get it. I waited for people to give it to me, nobody gave it to me, and then I realised that this is where I have to grab it."

Talking about her success as a content creator and opportunities to travel, Tharana said, "None of them [small-town people] believed that a girl from that place could do it," she said, adding that the usual life for a woman in her village was to get married and have children as soon as possible. But Tharana's dreams and achievements have changed this.

"But now other girls in my village can fit through because the people feel like 'if she can do it so can our girls' and it kind of opened the space for other girls in the village," she stated. Moreover, Tharana has now not only reconciled with her parents but also gives them the kingly treatment that they deserve and makes them proud every day. 

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Career Breakthrough

When Tharana fought her parents to let her move to Bengaluru, she was financially cut off by them. She realised that this was her chance to make some changes to her shy personality and become financially independent. She took a loan for her college and hostel fees but needed to make some money for other things.

So, when she was 17 years old, she found out that emceeing paid her sufficiently as well as gave her the chance to have a flexible schedule to balance her studies. She was paid Rs 1000 per event and said she was just grateful for the opportunity to freelance and make her own money. While her first time was "terrible," she said, she constantly worked on her confidence and became a household name in the emcee scene within two to three years.

She also delved into modelling and proudly shared that she won the 'Best Model' title at pageants for two consecutive years. Tharana went on to study biotechnology and genetics in her bachelor's but realised that she had found her calling in the entertainment industry. 

On Content Creation

When the pandemic hit, Tharana's career took an unexpected but monumental turn. She began posting videos of her just talking about mundane things to the camera, but her resonant voice paired with articulate thoughts grabbed the attention of people. She posted opinions on issues of social importance like gender, mental health, self-love, and family expectations, which were and to this day are the highlight of her content.

"Content creation has made my life a lot easier," Tharana stated, mentioning that she did not have to hustle like her college self anymore since her content gained momentum. "It is a space where I get to be me, and where I can just be there and explore so many opportunities." She said that people assume that content creation is easy and that getting famous as a content creator is everybody's cup of tea.

Au contraire, Rida Tharana shared that content creation is more than just about posting a photo or video with a trendy hashtag. "It is not easy. People are like, 'Oh, you just picked up a camera and recorded yourself talking.' Okay, and then what? There is a lot of planning and scripting that goes behind the scenes and a lot of keeping up with changing trends," Tharana shared.

Speaking about deciding what to post, Tharana said, "Something that worked for you a month ago is not gonna work today so you're constantly catching on to the trends. It's so much work. But I like it. It keeps me on my toes... And thanks to it my life has completely changed. I would have never been able to do a lot of things if not for content creation."