Niharika NM has the secret sauce. The 27-year-old, Chennai-born, Bangalore-raised, California-educated engineer- MBA may not know what her secret sauce is. But eight years into making videos, she’s found a way to turn the girl-next-door into the coolest person in the room.

She started out like everyone else, making funny sketches. Types of Eaters (the health freak, the foreign return, the messy one, the spitter), Types of Students During an Exam (the one who wants an extra sheet, the snitch, the sign language copycat, the liar, the one with the breakdown). Then, after she moved to Instagram in the pandemic, she’d switch effortlessly between her Bangalore mannerisms and California Valley Girl phrasing. On one Reel, titled One Way Street This Is, she talks about why letting go of someone you love is neither easy or useful. It went viral in 2020, hitting 10 million views in a week. Living Alone 101, another Reel, highlighted the expectations and reality of solo living. It hit 11 million views in under 13 days. It’s clear that Niharika is witty, gets comic timing, and effortlessly makes the mundane magical. It’s also clear that she knows exactly what millennials are obsessing over at the moment.

On Instagram, Niharika has 3.4 million followers. Her Reels routinely get 1 million views. She even guest starred on S7 of the Netflix show Big Mouth. So, where do funny girls go from here? Niharika is heading south, with a Tamil-language movie under Lyca Productions. “It’s a wholesome film, filled with romance, comedy, friendship, and heartbreak,” she says. Frankly, it sounds like one of her Reels.

Fresh off the Cannes red carpet for the third time, Niharika sat down with Brunch to offer a glimpse of what life is like when a creator leaps from the phone screen to the big screen.

Tell us about the last time you were overwhelmed.

When I was packing my bags for Cannes a few days ago. But I also felt it when I was on the red carpet last year. I was trying my best to keep my cool against the photographers and the crowds. But then, a very young girl in the audience called my name out of nowhere. I didn’t expect that to happen. She told me how my videos inspired her to express herself and make videos too. It was so humbling, it took away all my anxiety at that moment.

You recently posted a Reel about how stupid it is to waste time on crushes, to lose sleep over them. Has anyone kept you up at night?

All my content is based on real-life incidents. Obviously, they’re dramatised. But alas, this too has occurred in my real life.

Which celebrity would you like to swap lives with for a day and why?

Jim Carrey. Just so I can deep dive into that brain.

What’s one unusual perk of being famous?

The food! I love that because I travel, get to experiment with cuisines across the world. I love fish and chips in London, I love the famous black-cod with miso at Nobu in LA. I love the pizza and gelato at this one very specific restaurant which you’ll know only if you’re friends with me. Being famous means you also miss home food. I love coming home to my mum’s pappu charu, and hot rice with a little ghee.

Tell us which movies you turn to, when you’re...

On your period: I love movies that make me cry. So, Taare Zameen Par.

Getting over heartbreak: Dirty Dancing.

In need of a pick-me-up: Anything with Jim Carrey or Rowan Atkinson.

Having a night-in: Psychological thrillers such as Split, Get Out. Nobody scares me and makes me laugh like Jordan Peele.

Looking to set the mood: People better know that I watch a lot of animated stuff. So, Inside Out, Coco and Rick and Morty.

Which meme do you relate to the hardest?

This is my constant mood.

Arrange in your order of importance: DM, Phone Call, Voice Note, In-person Meeting, Text, Surprise Visit.

In-person meeting. Surprise Visit. Facetime. Phone call. Voice note.Text. DM.

What do you hate the most about your job?

The constant scrutiny about anything and everything that comes with being a public personality. I’m also hyper aware that it is a part of my job. I can’t only enjoy the perks and not face the music.

Which are you more embarrassed to share: Your last WhatsApp chat or your gym playlist?

Has to be my gym playlist. If you heard it, you would assume I’m a pro-athlete representing India at the next Olympics. I’m very likely listening to Chak De India or Kar Har Maidan Fateh while lifting a 2kg dumbbell.

What is the exact level of fame you want? To be mobbed everywhere, or play it low-key and chill? Who’s has the level of fame you aspire to?

I don’t think I fully know if it’s fame that I’m chasing or purpose. Hopefully I figure it out along the way. I don’t know if I like fame yet, so I can’t tell you how much of it I’d want. Some days, I want to be Beyoncé; other days, I just want to be my mum’s daughter.

Under practically everything you post, there are comments about how gorgeous your hair is. What’s going on up there?

It’s funny that so many people ask me about my hair, when I don’t take care of my hair enough. The credit goes to my mum for trying out all her home-made concoctions on me. I just follow the basics: Wash my hair twice a week, towel dry, and use those overnight sock curls to avoid too much heat. Yes, I put socks in my hair, but clean ones only.

You’ve worked with everyone from Shubman Gill and Priyanka Chopra Jonas to Jennifer Lopez and John Legend. Tell us the most fun BTS moment from any of these shoots.

I chose to go off-script and throw popcorn at Ajay Devgn when we were shooting a Reel to promote his movie Runway 34 in 2022. At that point, I could hear the crew gasp. But all Ajay Devgn did was pick up that piece of popcorn, eat it, and throw some back at me.

Give us three tips for a regular person thrust on to the red carpet.

I just want to say I am that regular person that’s shoved on to the red carpet and who’s still figuring it out! If you have tips for me, let me know.

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