Shahida Ansari has become a very popular name on both Instagram and YouTube; however, many people don’t know that she lives in the slums of Mumbai and her life has been completely changed since filmmaker Farah Khan came to her home recently to film a vlog.
A Visit from Farah Khan
Farah went to Shahida’s small home located in a very close-knit community where they discussed topics such as food, family and fun. They were able to sit down on the floor together, eat a meal that Shahida had prepared for them and laugh at some of Shahida’s funny memories.
Shahida informed Farah that she started posting videos on Instagram about eight years ago. Her videos did not receive any attention at all for most of that time, but very recently people began to notice her short funny Reels, and now she has roughly one million followers on Instagram, something she never thought would happen to her.
Shahida Ansari’s Life in a Small Home
Shahida took great pride in showing Farah her home, and when Farah asked how many people live in her house, Shahida laughed and replied, “Ten!” That’s right; she has ten family members living in that small house. Shahida said that although it can be challenging, they all work together and do the best they can with their circumstances.
Shahida shared everything about herself; she told me she has a husband and two daughters, and she was very generous with her kind words about her neighbours. In fact, she told me, “Everyone here is supportive”. They’re cheering for me when one of my videos goes viral; they’re laughing along with me when I roast someone; and they’re encouraging me to keep posting.”
Cooking and Family Fun
Shahida has many popular videos that show the fun she has with her children when making dinner. In some videos, they tease and challenge each other. Sometimes, they make faces while tasting the food. One of her biggest hits was a video where she said, “My life, my rules”.
On the day that Farah came to visit, Shahida made a basic curry using onions and potatoes. Farah and Dilip, her cook, were seated right on the floor among Shahida’s family as they all shared a meal. Farah had very positive things to say about Shahida’s cooking style; she said Shahida cooks “so naturally” and feels very comfortable in front of the camera, something most influencers have difficulty doing.
Later, Shahida shared a video on her YouTube page telling everyone how happy she was to have Farah visit and provide a nice review of her recipe. One story about someone who has always cooked for her family using basic ingredients has now been seen by millions of people across the world. what a fantastic journey this has been for Shahida.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
