“I am not a blogger or influencer, just stories” – Kashish Khan

Kashish Khan

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I come from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. It's a small town where people only know about few career options, luckily my parents believed in the beauty of dreams and never doubted my capability to achieve it.

Initially, I wanted to be an IFS Officer because girls in small town are given few options to choose from. So, I went to Delhi to pursue my graduation from Delhi University and then later on study for UPSC. The UPSC part never happened, instead my inclination towards travel grew and to fund my travel I started to model with an agency and I found that I really enjoyed being in front of camera. But I have always kept my travel as a priority between travel and modelling because travel was the only reason, I started it at the first place.

Who is your role model and why?

Julia Roberts - I just loved the kind of movie she did, her choice of movies made me her biggest fan! Her all movies reflects the deepest of women feelings that even women don't pay attention to leave about men, but those feelings are important to be taken care of because you have one life and you need to live this life with love and dignity. The subtle way of delivering message about empowering woman in different ways is truly wonderful. I believe every person should watch her movies. Women, to understand their emotions and position in society better and men because they need to know how things are important and should be taken care of and know what a true man is.

You must have seen movie "Nayak" (wherein Anil Kapoor becomes a one day CM). If you are made CM for a day. What all would you like to do?

Being a student of Political Science honors I should have answered this better but I hate real world politics so I would never want to put myself in CM's position.

We believe that your stories would inspire your followers to travel like you. If given a chance to take your followers on a trip with you, where would you like to take them?

I would love to take my followers to a place where there is no chaos of modernisation and people live in old ways, where they work hard for their every meal. Some place where there are open fields and some place we can go fishing because when they'll live with those people who word day and night for all of us, only then will they value people from lowest strata in the society who actually deserves respect. It's sad how people from economically backward sections are treated. I would always encourage experiential travel where you connect with the grassroots of the society.

Your Instagram BIO says "I'm a lot more than my instagram.. Not a blogger or influencer, just stories". Would you like to elaborate more on this?

Some people build up a persona for the person on just the basis of what they see on instagram. Travelling has made me meet incredibly beautiful people with such refreshing souls who are way beyond to be defined just through instagrampictures and stories. And I believe it for myself too, just few pictures can\'t define my life or who I am, I am a lot more than just few pictures. Secondly, I do not consider myself to be super equipped with knowledge about a certain place or thing, I can't be a random blogger giving out few facts that even I'm not sure of hence, I just post on my instagram what I am sure I know about a place and how I felt when I was there. For me. information has to be complete or not given at all. So, they are all just beautiful stories in my feed 🙂


You have been into modelling industry. What challenges you faced (if any) and how did you overcome them?>

When I got into modelling, the only problem I faced was that I felt that my body isn't perfect and I started to think low of myself because I was surrounded by skinny models many a times. But modelling only taught me that it's your little good things that make you different from others and one should focus on what they have and enhance them rather than wining about what they don't have.


You seem to have an interest in painting. Also, you graduated recently. How do you manage so many things simultaneously?

I have always loved drawing, painting, sketching. Somehow when you grow up you forget about what you used to love doing in your childhood which one must never stop doing. Painting for me is like meditation, I'm not a great artist but I try my best and it is or me.Juggling between modelling, travelling, college has been challenging definitely but I am young, and I can do a lot of things at this age with this much energy and I don't want my youth to go waste. Hence, I word hard in everything I do. If you have started something, you should give your best or give nothing at all.

Anything else that you would like to share with the audience?

I would just want to conclude by saying that do things which fetches your soul, learn everyday,don't waste time, it is indeed precious. But also, don't put too much pressure, hug yourself or tap your shoulder for little achievements and forgive yourself for mistakes and move on to do something incredible. Life is easy, everyone around us complicate, but you have to be wise.

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We are sure after reading your interview with us, many travellers would like to contact you. Do you have any Social Media Handle where other travellers can reach you?

People can reach me on Instagram. Link to Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/kashishkhannn

“I am 20 years old, and I am obsessed with telling stories” – Paritosh Anand

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hey, my name is Paritosh (you already know that, Agh!!)
I am 20 years old, and I am obsessed with telling stories. I am a Storyteller, a Musician, an Entrepreneur, a Public Speaker and a soon-to-be Author!

I come from a small town called Dehradun. Growing up an introvert in high school, I would always search for ways to EXPRESS emotions, without actually expressing them. Be it through music, art or film-making – which actually came very late into my life.

In high school, I would get super fascinated seeing people applaud and cheer whenever the ‘Tech-Board’ in our school would have their short films play on the big screen in the auditorium. I would always say to myself – “Ay bro, I want my name up there as well!”
So I started sitting next to their work desks in the library, started seeing how things worked out, Overheard them talk about this editing software, Came home, downloaded it, and made the worst possible video ever – which for me (back then) was good enough to make it to the Oscars, by the way!

So that was where it all started for me. A certain craving, turned curiosity, turned passion, turned obsession – that’s filmmaking and storytelling for me now.

Most of your profile in earlier phase contains music and funny videos. How do you relate yourself to music?

Oh yes! So this is one part of me that people are not very aware of. For me, storytelling started with music, and it still is a big part of me.

I started playing the piano when I was 8 years old, the guitar when I was 15, and the harmonica when I turned 18. Music has always been that perfect little form of ‘Escape’ for me. It has helped me TALK without ever saying a word, helped me DREAM without ever going to sleep, helped me SEE IT ALL even with my eyes closed! It’s just been such a vital part of my life.

I used to play for my house in school, after which I got into a band named RutMalang, which performs all over the country. So yes, in the early stages of ‘creating’, it was all about music for me!

Not really looking forward to learn a new instrument, but yes, I really want to release an album of all of my own compositions that came out of the piano whenever I needed it the most.

And also, I have always considered humor to be the stress-buster ever, so whenever I’d come across a weird idea that would make me laugh a little, I would always make sure to make a video on it.

It has always been about the ‘SMILES’. Even if one person puts his phone down with a smile on his/her face after watching my video, I’ve done my job!

You are currently just 20 years old and have already been successful in making a mark in India’s travel V-logging industry (with over 17k youtube followers). How was your journey? What challenges did you face and how you overcame them?

I talked about this in one of my motivational talks earlier this year as well – “Success” for me is not a destination! It’s a very beautiful process that, I believe, everyone is a part of. All of us choose different paths, and shape our own unique definition of “Success”, but, its never the end! It just keeps going. Gotta stay hungry, Gotta do more 24/7!

Well, if we talk about the ‘Journey’, its not been the easiest of all rides. At the age of 17, I made the craziest decision of my life to withdraw from the National Defence Academy, without any idea about how I would proceed with what’s ahead.

There’s never a point in my life where I don’t get criticized, or HATED for this one decision (I’ve legit received DEATH-THREATS for the same, XD), but, for me – as long as I am impacting the growing audience that I have, as long as I am spreading the smiles, as long as I am in the process of achieving financial freedom, as long as I am in the process of chasing my dreams, my passion and HELPING others do the same as well? Bro, I’m good!

It doesn’t end there though. There’s always a side to every public figure that remains hidden. A side that no-one really sees. A side that’s a little painful, a side that has seen challenges, a side that has fought battles that no-one is aware of, a side that has lost, a side that has broken parts waiting to be mended. This side, even though it stays hidden, yet it is also the one that DEFINES the Soul in us!

The challenges, losses, defeats, heart-breaks – they’re always the lessons that help us grow, in every way possible. And well, isn’t that the way to life as well, FORWARD?

Now, some questions on topics other than your professional life-

If you have to name a dance step that defines you, what would that be?

I have never ever been a good dancer, until once (as I’ve been told, because I was a little too ‘not-in-the-best-of-senses to remember XD!).

I am that ‘UNCLE-IN-EVERY-INDIAN-WEDDING’ whenever I’m asked to dance. I would put both of my hands up, move my butt a little and just make my way out of the dance floor.
So yes, my move would be ‘THE UNCLE TWERK’? haha

One thing that you would refuse to share with anyone?

My phone number. Unless you like John Mayer & Sunsets – we can talk!

What is the craziest thing that you have ever done?

The list goes on and on … Its so hard to talk about one.
But yes, I’ve peed inside a moving sleeper-bus into a bottle. I know its more creepy than crazy, but, that was an adventure! Y’all must try. Need to be super lazy and have super precision though, comes with practice, don’t worry about it! xD

What’s the weirdest crush you have ever had?

I am proud to say this out loud – I’ve legit drooled over Hrithik Roshan my entire childhood man! That dude has been my gay-crush forever!!

How would you describe your Entrepreneurial Journey?

I’ve always wanted to work for my own self. Yet to find the ‘WHY’ for it, within me, but that’s what brings out the rush.

I run 2 online businesses:
Number 1 is a Digital Media Marketing/Content Creation & Distribution Agency called ‘WeSmileMedia’ and the other one is an online course that I offer to all the Defence Aspirants called ‘Dream Of The Defence’ (I have scored 3 ALL INDIA RANKS – 6,88,240 – in the SSB’s, which is considered among the toughest interviews/tests to clear in the world. Wanted to put it to good use!)

Would you like to share a  little about your book?

Yes, I am writing my first book, titled – The Importance Of Dreams. Its an ultimate guide to every ‘dreamer’ out there, a push that they would need to break out of the norms and DO WHAT THEY LOVE! 

Among the greatest aims of this book is to get the poison of ‘REGRET’ out of people.
Can you even imagine yourself, sitting on your death-bed, listing down all the things you couldn’t (DIDN’T!) do and then say to yourself – “Ahh, this was such a waste!”

I can’t. Gotta live, Gotta understand that Dreams are more than just ILLUSIONS. They’re signs, They are the ‘Regrets’ that you gotta click off-of the list!

(But your dreams have to realistic enough as well, okay? You can’t just dream about dating Selena Gomez and then come back to me and say “OH PARITOSH, LOOK, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, WHAT DO I DO WITH YOUR BOOK NOW?!” – that dream is already taken 😉 )