Thugesh Unfiltered: Rejection, Originality, AI & The Fear of Becoming Irrelevant | Shekhar Natarajan

Shekhar Natarajan (0:00)

I'll never quit.

Mahesh Keshwala (0:01)

Even if I get into movies or something, I'll never quit YouTube.

Shekhar Natarajan (0:10)

I think it is changing the world in the wrong direction. That is my opinion.

Mahesh Keshwala (0:20)

Every creator has this, if someone is denying it, then he's lying.

That he's not scared of being irrelevant. He's lying, if he thinks so.

Shekhar Natarajan (0:34)

If I don't perform, I will be stuck in my origin story in my life.

Mahesh Keshwala (0:42)

No one is original. Originality is a myth in content creation. Everything is inspired somewhere.

Shekhar Natarajan (1:19)

So, part of Tomorrow, Today with Shekhar Natarajan, this is our 43rd episode that we are shooting.

And it's my honor to have Mahesh Keshwala. He goes by Thugesh. He is a great name.

Mahesh Keshwala (1:33)

AKA Thugesh. He is also known as Thugesh. Thugesh.

Shekhar Natarajan (1:36)

Yeah. So, he's a critic comedian, YouTuber, he is a talk show host, and you have your own media empire, and you shoot like in three studios, where you have to pay the rent like one year in advance.

Mahesh Keshwala (1:52)

That's a good point.

Shekhar Natarajan (1:53)

And your landlord still thinks you are making some content, which is like not so appropriate in plus.

Mahesh Keshwala (2:02)

Yes, 100 percent.

Shekhar Natarajan (2:03)

So welcome to the show.

Mahesh Keshwala (2:05)

Thank you for having me. Thank you so much.

Shekhar Natarajan (2:07)

Yeah, it's fun. It's fun. So let's actually kind of like transport yourself back when you are age 9

Mahesh Keshwala (2:14)

Age 9 Age 9 Okay.

Shekhar Natarajan (2:16)

Not age 1 Age 1 means you don't even remember anything.

Mahesh Keshwala (2:19)

You don't remember anything.

Shekhar Natarajan (2:22)

So at age 9, what were your aspirations in life? Like how did you, well, was it even in back of your mind that you will ever be someone like a comedian or an entertainment host? Or was it like where you were a different person at that time?

Age 9, I was a kid. Yes, but something must have happened.

Mahesh Keshwala (2:44)

I had no dreams. I am being very honest. I wanted a job in the bank.

I don't know. I heard from people around me that if you wear formal clothes and tie, you will become a big man.

That was the whole point. The circle was so small, the bubble was so small, that the 4-5 people who speak were the right thing. So, at that point, going into the entertainment industry, YouTube didn't exist at all. There was no content creation then. And to even think that I will be in to movies, that I will be on a stage, or I will do modelling, this was a very far-fetched dream. So, I never thought that I will have to do something in my studies. And I had to become a cricketer. Because I was very good at cricket.

Shekhar Natarajan (3:33)

I thought that you have to work in the bank because you can go and loot the bank. Thugesh, because your name is Thugesh.

Mahesh Keshwala (3:42)

Good point.

Shekhar Natarajan (3:48)

So, tell me a little bit about your parents, your family, like who they are and your upbringing.

Mahesh Keshwala (3:55)

It's a very normal family. Like every middle class family.

They worked very hard, they taught me. They did everything they could to complete my education. To even get me into an English medium school was a task for my parents.

Now, they tell me that at that time, there was so much conflict going on that they put him in a Gujarati medium school, they put him in an English medium school. What was the need for English medium? All these things were happening. The people around me were saying, their kids are studying in Gujarati, put them in English medium. So, my mom had to fight to put English medium in school. So, it's such a family. It was a very simple family. And they did everything they could, so that I could pay my fees. And yes.

Shekhar Natarajan (4:47)

So, mom, dad, and grandma. And you're the only child.

Mahesh Keshwala (4:52)

I'm the only one.

Shekhar Natarajan (4:53)

Okay. And where were you born?

Mahesh Keshwala (4:55)

Thane.

Shekhar Natarajan (4:56)

Thane, here, local.

Mahesh Keshwala (4:58)

Born and brought up.

Shekhar Natarajan (4:59)

Very good.

Mahesh Keshwala (4:59)

Yes.

Shekhar Natarajan (4:59)

And so, in Thane, like, so what did your father do? Because obviously, like, you know, a Gujarati family.

So, someone from Saurashtra, someone from somewhere, someone from Khat, or from where?

Mahesh Keshwala (5:12)

Saurashtra, Porbandar. Porbandar. So, my dad was from here. My dad was from Mumbai. And my mom was from Porbandar.