YouTube channel puts the spotlight on Mumbai through its many residents

A video featuring expats has this French national speaking in HindiIt is not for nothing that Mumbai has been called the city of dreams Millions arrive year after year eager to make a name for themselves be it as actors or entrepreneurs It is these fresh faces that 24yearold Arushi Dutt hopes to capture through her YouTube channel Everything BombayA still from an Everything Bombay video shot at a cultural fest held in a city collegeDutt started her channel which showcases the city and its many layers in December 2015 Her upcoming segment titled lsquoAspire to bersquo will profile Mumbairsquos emerging talent in fiveminutelong videos Dutt shares ldquoThere are so many young people who are just starting out in the acting music and art scenes With Everything Bombay I want to find these talented people and take viewers through a day in their livesrdquoA video features an interview with one of the oldest workers at Dhobi GhatBack to the startldquoI lived in the USA and then Canada for around 11 years so when I moved to Mumbai I realised I didnrsquot know anything about it at all Irsquove always loved being in front of the camera so Everything Bombay was my way of exploring the city while doing something I really enjoyedrdquo she saysDutt tries playing the dhol at The Lil Flea in BandraIt took her about three to four months of planning after which she uploaded the first video mdash where she covered The Lil Flea in Bandra mdash on the channel In the video she captures the fun atmosphere of the space talking to stall owners digging into the food on offer and indulging in anticsSince then shersquos gone on to upload a host of other videos spending a day at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival venturing into Dhobi Ghat and cycling through Sanjay Gandhi National Park However one video stands outldquoI asked a bunch of expats what they think about Mumbai After having lived abroad for so many years I know how weird it can be to adjust in India I wanted to get a feel of what itrsquos like for them to be living hererdquo says Dutt What ensues is a hilarious conversation about everything from spicy food cattle on the roads and banter in broken Hindi After being uploaded seven months ago the video blew up gathering nearly 50000 views and gaining Everything Bombay 600 new subscribersThe challengeItrsquos not easy to sustain an independent YouTube venture mdash production costs can be high Dutt says ldquoI have to take into account the cost of renting mics and cameras and factor the video editor and cinematographerrsquos charges This takes the cost of each video up to nearly Rs 15000rdquoEven if she edits all the footage herself she says there is still rental equipment involved as is the cost of travel and in some cases entry fees Often she ties up with media students who are willing to help with production at no cost Itrsquos a winwin mdash they have something to add to their profile and Dutt gets the help she needs ldquoOne of my team members also composes original music for the videosrdquo she addsMoving forwardDutt continues to look for sponsors but in the meantime she has taken to creating vlogs Internetspeak for lsquovideo blogsrsquo on the channel ldquoWhenever I leave the city to explore a new place I shoot travel vlogs Itrsquos just my camera and me Through these videos my viewers get to almost coming along with me on the tripI edit these videos myselfrdquo she says Vlogs she adds are a good way of ensuring that there is content going up on the channel even when funds are running dry as they donrsquot cost much to createThe ideas for her videos are born out of everyday observations Sharing the plan for the one shersquos most excited about she says ldquoOne thing that I believe defines Mumbai is its rhythm The overhead handles in the train swishing from side to side municipality workers brushing aside dried leaves with sweeps of their brooms these movements and sounds are an integral part of the city I hope to bring them all together in a video sometime soonrdquo Log on to Everything Bombay on YouTube