Dharna productions

Social media star Dharna Durga is 22 and navigating fame one step at a time, but she knows exactly where she's going

- Urvee Modwel

At 22, most Indians worry about life, how their career might shape up, and what to do next. Dharna Durga worries about which posts will resonate with her 300K Instagram followers, and how to balance brand integration with a platform that is about authentic engagement. 

In most of her sketch videos and Reels, Durga (@dharnaaaaa) plays characters that might seem familiar: the nosy relative, filmi stepdaughters and bhaiyabhabhis. She knows a cliché when she sees one. Check out Every Bollywood Gossip Video Ever. She plans and shoots her videos at her home in Delhi. They're low-budget, high-impact.

Dharna is like thousands of comic hopefuls online. But she's broken through because her work is straightforward and funny. She finds humour where others don't: Every Beauty Parlour Aunty Ever, Every Chemist Shop Visit, That One Friend On Every Trip, Hair Oil Ads Be Like, Every Lawyer in '90s Bollywood Films, or Every Mom During Diwali. And she's committed to every role.

Take it from the top

Durga was studying at Delhi University when her story really started. Confused about whether to join the dance group or the theatre society, she figured theatre would let her sing, dance and act. "I realised that while I enjoy dancing, I love acting even more," Durga says, enthusiastically. She says everything enthusiastically. It's clear that she's excited about the videos she makes.