Shanaka Alahakkoon, popularly known as “Podda” is one such YouTube celebrity who gained a huge number of followers overnight, especially, teenagers. This week we decided to talk to Shanaka about his stardom, future plans and his journey, since he is the perfect example for someone who never gave up on his dreams.
Revealing his childhood dreams Podda said, “I had this madness to become an actor. I tried my luck, applying to several competitions and met several people, but never got an opportunity. They said appearance-wise I do not qualify.” Podda said, he found the motivation to do videos and be a YouTuber when he got rejected repeatedly on many occasions. Further, some people mocked at his physical appearance saying he hadn’t the ‘height’ nor the ‘looks’ to be an actor.
“I thought to myself, I would be someone popular and prove them wrong. Now when I look back and see where I am today, I honestly feel I have achieved what I wanted to achieve.”
Shanaka had left the country for further studies and that is when he started making videos. Buying a camera, he started off with photography and later on did wedding videography too.
“All I wanted was to act, so I decided to make my own videos. I was so obsessed with it that I watched YouTube tutorials and learnt the technical side of making videos. Becoming a YouTuber happened later. That was accidental.”
Podda is well-known for making humorous videos. He said, when he chose to create videos on his own he realised, so much hard work had to go into shooting a small video clip and that he has to keep learning new techniques.
“I learnt a lot from Gappiya, including how to use the ‘double acting’ technique on videos, which I used for a lot of my videos. I am a huge movie fan and was always curious to know about the technical side of it. I was fascinated by the angles, the frames and the process. Still, there is a lot I could not put into practice for my videos. I will do that soon,” said Podda.
Shanaka has nearly 26,000 subscribers to his channel, “Podda” and nearly 104,000 followers on his Facebook page and 25,000 followers on his Instagram account too.
“I communicate with my fans, mostly through Facebook. I read every single comment, and respond to them. But I avoid responding to hate-filled comments. I am always ready to support if I think someone is genuinely doing something worthwhile. I will not hesitate to promote them,” he stressed.
Usually, he gets around 40,000 views per day, once a video is released. Shanaka said, the most successful video of his, “Jealous Boyfriend”, went viral within a few hours. “The video was about the rules and restrictions girls or boys impose on their partner. I think it was relatable, hence, it became a hit.”
Talking about the topics of his videos, Shanaka said most of them are random ones which normally become popular among fans. He said, there were videos which were merely experiences encountered by him or his friends. He said he hasn’t chosen topics with the intention of making them viral but only if he thought they could convey a message to society.
“I do videos when I get an idea and not according to a schedule. There have been instances when I have done three videos per week and sometimes none for a while. It all depends on the ideas,” he said.
Recalling his experiences through the years, Shanaka said when he first started making videos people scolded him and said he was wasting his time, and that he should focus on his studies. However, refusing to let go of his dreams, Shanaka thought, “I will never give up, because I believe in myself, in what I can do. I will use whatever talents I have to make a quality production. This is what I like and I will continue doing it for the rest of my life.”
When asked about the message he would like to convey to upcoming YouTubers in the country, he said, “There will be many people to discourage you. Never listen to them. If you believe in yourself and your talents, just go for it. Do not sacrifice your dreams thinking about what people would say. There will always be people who let you down no matter what you do. Do not let such people decide your fate. Always go ahead with the motivation to do better and prove them wrong.”
Shanaka is planning to produce a movie for which he has been waiting for more than 15 years. Also, he has an idea to initiate a short film festival to encourage and appreciate new film makers, video producers, directors and others interested in the field.