On Our Radar: Meet the trailblazers who are shaping the future of content creation.
Every once in a while we should take a break from our manic schedule to appreciate the simple things in life. Imbibing this thought, writer, filmmaker and digital creator Sahil Khurana a.k.a. Poproads is winning hearts with his storytelling prowess. With more than five years of experience in the industry, Sahil finds joy in creating content through his writing, photography, videography, video editing and anything called storytelling.
The Popoads’ Instagram page is an aesthetic and visual treat, to say the least. It leaves you with a burst of happiness. The way Sahil Khurana picks a simple insight and fleshes it out in the most creative and visually stimulating manner along with his voicenotes is mighty impressive. He also infuses brand collaborations quite effortlessly into his storytelling. Khurana has built a community of 156K followers on Instagram who are ardent lovers of his craft.
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The Social Nation team caught up for a story-time with Sahil Khurana/Poproads about this unique niche he’s adopted and aced. Read on to know more:
Your approach to storytelling is extremely unique, what made you take this route and what inspired you?
Storytelling for me has been a ‘Happy Jar’ where I store all my exciting thoughts. Initially, during my post-grad days, it was just a medium for me to express myself. What I couldn’t share with friends, I shared with the camera. However, gradually it became a treasure that helped me know myself better… kind of a self-discovery thing.
The use of objects and colours in your reels is very interesting, how do you ideate and plan your content?
Every idea starts with a thought, and then a garden grows from a single seed.
The process I follow is: Thought -> Script -> Shots Planning -> Shoot -> Editing.
Talking about colours or objects, it’s always what the script demands.
Sahil, most of your content is about love and heartache. Any reason why you pick these genres?
“Be who you needed when you were younger”… I devote my storytelling to this statement. I strongly believe that during our school/college days, we have our parents, relatives and teachers to guide us about career choices, but there is no one to accompany us on the journey of friendship and relationships. It’s a solo trip. We learn when we experience it. Long story short – I just want to share my experiences of love/relationships so that someone out there doesn’t feel alone when on a solo trip of life.
Any reason why your Insta handle is called ‘Poproads’?
It’s just a blend of my two favourite things – Travel and music. ‘Pop’ comes from music and ‘Roads’ from travel.
How did your content creation journey begin?
It started during my post-grad days when I shifted from Chandigarh to Noida. While studying Mass Communication, I developed the habit of reading novels which further taught me to observe the details – find beauty in the mundane. I started writing my thoughts in the form of short quotes… which, with time, morphed into short stories, and then into videos.
How do you come up with these stories and write them? Can you briefly take us through the process?
There is no one structure to come up with these stories. Sometimes it’s the thought, and sometimes it’s an interesting visual that sprouts into a story. However, there is one thing which is always common – THE REALITY. The thought/visual takes me back to my life experiences from where I hand-pick a few memories and stitch them into a story.
What is the end goal you wish to achieve via your content?
Honestly, I haven’t thought of a final destination because I believe there is no end to self-discovery. I just want to pursue a higher form of storytelling with every passing day.
Is your content inspired by your personal relationships in life? How much do you practice what you preach?
YES. Whatever I talk about is/was either a part of my life or a close friend’s life. Honesty is my only rule of storytelling because WHEN WE SPEAK OUR TRUTH, we find the right people for ourselves.
What advice would Sahil Khurana give young couples who are scared of commitment?
When someone is scared of commitment, it’s because of their past. But that ONE INSTANCE shouldn’t change the meaning of LOVE for us. What we consider as the end of a book… is actually just the end of a chapter.
Any exciting content/projects that we should look forward to in 2024?
Let this be a SECRET 🙂
Sahil sure is keeping us in suspense with that answer but knowing him and his work, we’re sure there’s some super exciting and creative stuff coming our way this year! That was one of the most positive conversations we’ve had in a while – a feeling Sahil Khurana’s content never fails to invoke. If you haven’t yet, go check out Poproads now!
