'Musafiri': Why Richa Chadha picked YouTube over streamers
What's the story
Actor-producer Richa Chadha has launched her debut travel series, Musafiri, on YouTube. The show explores the hidden gems of Mumbai, Chadha's "karma-bhoomi (land of work)." Speaking to Variety India, Chadha revealed that she chose YouTube for its creative freedom and control over content creation. "I wanted even more creative control than I previously had with being a producer," she said.
Creative freedom
'YouTube gives me a different sense of agency'
Chadha emphasized that her decision was driven by a desire for greater control over her projects.
"You need to apply for grants and do a lot of other work [for projects as a producer]. But YouTube gives me a different sense of agency."
She added, "I don't want to listen to some executives telling me about what will work and what will not work."
Educational focus
On why she chose YouTube
Chadha highlighted her commitment to making education accessible.
"I wanted to make an educational show and education should be free. That's my opinion."
"That's why I didn't want to put it on a platform that has a subscription model, and it's on YouTube. You can watch it in Ireland, Pakistan, or Kenya."
The actor-producer has launched a dedicated YouTube channel named Phull Stop for the series.
Future endeavors
What's next for 'Musafiri'?
Chadha is looking to expand Musafiri beyond Mumbai and across India.
She has not ruled out collaborations with other creators on YouTube but said it was too early to comment on that.
"Primarily, I think both Ali [Fazal, husband] and I are interested in different things. So we will put stuff that we do outside of the restrictions of a traditional producing framework because YouTube also gives you that freedom."