The pair focus on creating short videos to convey family-related messages. With over 300,000 followers on social media, including at least 31,000 on Instagram, 230,500 on TikTok and 110,000 on Facebook through their “Kaartik RK” accounts, their casual and humorous approach to family has made them popular.
New videos are eagerly awaited by their followers, and if you look at the comments section, 90% those who respond are from the Malay community.
“Initially, our videos had no subtitles because they were intended for the Indian community. But surprisingly, many people from other races also enjoyed what we were presenting,” Kaartik, 38, told Bernama recently.
“The idea to add subtitles came after Malay followers requested them because they didn’t understand Tamil. So, we followed their suggestion and received a lot of positive feedback saying that the videos were very relatable as they depict situations that happen in homes and everyday life – funny or serious.”
As a father of five children aged between three and 20, Kaartik, a lorry driver, also wishes to highlight that family life can be fulfilling without a luxurious lifestyle.
“In our videos, we include content about the relationship between husband and wife and their family who are leading a simple life. This platform also strengthens our bond with our children as we brainstorm together,” Kaartik added.
“Our 12-year-old daughter helps with filming and editing. This is great exposure for her to hone her skills.”
Kaartik began being active on social media during the Movement Control Order (MCO). Starting with only 26 TikTok followers and no exposure to the world of social media, his talent as an influencer was discovered by his mentor during a social-media coaching session.
“They trained us to create videos and set a target of gaining 1,000 followers within a week. So, I made a Tamil-language TikTok video and, surprisingly, gained 8,000 followers. My mentor was shocked and gave me a second challenge to reach 20,000 followers.
“In one week, I gained 45,000, and that’s when my mentor recognised my hidden talent, which he said I could develop to become an influencer. However, I needed an identity, so we decided to focus on content related to the B40 community,” Kaartik explained.
Asked how he balances his job, family and social-media commitments, he admits it can be challenging but, with Rekka’s support and motivated by their growing number of followers, he allocates his time effectively.
“We try to upload at least one video a day,” Kaartik said. “Usually, we record at home after 10pm to avoid disturbing the neighbours. We’ve even received comments asking us to post videos every Monday to help relieve the Monday blues.
“By being influencers, we’ve learnt many new things like video editing, creating graphics and so on, but most importantly, we’ve made a lot of friends. In the long term, we plan to set up an agency to manage local influencers,” he concluded.