‘Titu mama is my favourite character’: Bhuvan Bam

Bhuvan Bam’s characters in his YouTube channel BB Ki Vines skits are outlandish and the comic says that he creates them from observations. However, none of them are real. Except for Titu, who is based on his real uncle. “That one is also my favourite character. When my mama (maternal uncle) saw the character for the first time, he called me up and asked me, ‘Yeh main hoon kya?’ and when I said yes, he said, ‘Bohot jordaar hai! Keep it up,” Bhuvan laughs, “He lives in Baroda and he said that I have made him famous there.” The 24-year-old guy from Delhi has made a conscious effort not to reveal his uncle’s identity anywhere. “I don’t want people to trouble him on social media,” Bhuvan explains.

The comedian, who is also a musician, shuttles between his home in the country’s capital city and Mumbai for meetings and other work. Ask him if he plans to relocate and he says, “Eventually, I will. But right now I want to make enough money to buy a house for my parents in a better locality in Delhi. Right now, a lot of people know where I live and safety of my parents is sometimes a concern for me. I don’t want fans to bother them,” he reasons.

Speaking of crazy fans, Bhuvan reminisces his first brush with a mob. When his channel was gaining popularity during the initial phase of his career, his parents would often complain that he wasn’t spending enough time with them. Once they insisted that he go out with them. “We went to Sarojini Nagar to shop and I was mobbed so badly that we had to return without buying anything,” he smiles. “Till then my parents didn’t know how big my channel was getting. After we came home, my dad said, ‘Ab dikha tu karta kya hai?’ and they saw my channel.”