Vishnu Kaushal is one of Indian content’s most recognizable faces. It’s almost impossible to miss his reels when scrolling through the neverending feeds of Instagram. Having made a sweet spot for himself with his relatable content, Vishnu has cemented his status as an experiment. To say that he exudes an infectious energy would be a complete understatement.  

When we met at the shoot for MensXP Tribe’s June cover, Vishnu was patiently getting done with hair and makeup for his first look, amid a flurry of humans determined to make him look his best. But no sooner had the makeup artist put down his brush, did Vishnu spring to action, livening up the room with his trademark grin, prepared to put his best foot forward. 

Armed with a rare combination of humility and wit, Vishnu is every bit a natural in front of the camera. From making funny videos and reels on Instagram to launching his own fashion line, and to now venturing into the acting world with Lionsgate’s ‘Feels Like Home’, Vishnu Kaushal is unstoppable.   

He finds ways to express himself behind the camera making videos and through sketches of his designs that reflect what he believes in. He doesn’t call himself a fashion connoisseur but admits to be an aesthete with an appreciation for art and colours, and gets inspired by all things artistic. When asked about what (or who) inspires his style, he took no time to credit the two most important women in his life, his mom and his girlfriend, who helped him take risks when it came to picking bolder and offbeat styles.

Shirt: Bisou, Pants: Vulgar, Shoes: Birkenstock, Necklace: bracelet and rings Azga

While talking about how he came up with his own merch, Vishnu stressed he wanted to build a community of people who are kind, courageous and curious with his fashion label ‘Peach by Vishnu’. “There are certain values attached to ‘being a peach’,” he says.   

Vishnu thanks his fashion powerhouse of a girlfriend, Diksha Rawat, for influencing his style big time. Even admitting to begging, borrowing, and stealing from her wardrobe all the time. “I have to give credit to my girlfriend for my style statement. I love the way she dresses up and I love her clothes so sometimes I borrow her clothes like her cool, baggy pants. ” he said.  

Here are the excerpts from the conversation with Vishnu Kaushal, as he talks about how he came up with his clothing brand, the life of a content creator and all about entering the OTT world as an actor.

Do you believe that fashion is one way of expressing oneself?  

Absolutely! And, there is not  just one but many ways people can use fashion to express themselves. There is so much space for people like me who know nothing about fashion but get inspired by things, brainstorm and come up with a way to express what they believe in. 

Jacket: Advait, Top: Vulgar, Pants: Doh tak keh, Shoes: Christian Louboutin

How would you describe your fashion statement? 

My personal style is usually very fluid. It keeps on changing and evolving. I get obsessed with certain kinds of styles at different times. At one point, it was oversized t-shirts and right now it's fitted shirts with baggy pants. I like to experiment and try new things and see what works for me.  

What inspires your personal style?  

My girlfriend Diksha. She is too good with fashion and I love how she dresses up. Also, I love Harry Styles and I vibe with what he wears. I love colours and art, in general, so if something translates with me, I have to wear it.  

Masculine norms influence rigid rules and codes of conduct like pink is not for men or floral print is feminine. Did you ever feel that growing up?  

It’s sad but true that there are still these rules and norms that men should dress a certain way and look masculine but I’m thankful I don’t belong to that lot. I’d give credit to my mom for that. When I was growing up, she used to dress me up in her favourite colours like peach and sky blue. So I’ve always loved wearing different colours and prints. 

All clothing: Rahul Mishra, Bracelet: Azga, Rings and necklaces: MDN

You are quite experimental with your fashion but not so much with your hair or beard styles. Why is that? 

I used to experiment with my hair a lot when I was in school. I used to change my hair as and when Beckham did. I copied every style he sported.  

I do want to try the 80’s mullet once just to see how it looks on me. I have also wanted to colour my hair and go all out with pink but I think it needs guts. 

Tell us about your label ‘Peach By Vishnu’? What was the idea behind it and were there any challenges while launching your own brand? 

In 8th grade, my best friend and I started a clothing website where we used to sell printed T-shirts. It didn’t work out, obviously, but I loved the idea. Back then, I had no understanding of design or the fashion industry and how it works. Eventually, when I grew up, I saw creators launching their own merch. But I wanted to do something different than selling clothes with my quotes on it.

I wanted to create a community of people who resonated with art as much as I did. A community of kind, courageous and curious people of similar values who can connect with each other and find homeliness among strangers.    

Tell us a style icon you look up to.

For the longest time, it was David Bechkam. Right now, it is more about what is being done by people and the cultural impact of it like Dhruv Kapoor and what he is creating or Kim Kardashian with her brand SKIMS. These are the people who inspire me to be bold enough to do something courageous. 

Jacket: Countrymade, Pants: Rishi & Vibhuti, Shoes: Christian Louboutin, Jewellery: Azga

Do you have a skincare routine that you follow? 

My skincare routine is mostly washing my face and putting on gel-based moisturiser (I have oily skin) before I sleep. In the morning, I sometimes use niacinamide under my moisturiser. I also use Vitamin C serum and make sure I use sunscreen because otherwise I get skin irritation. I can say I have a better understanding of my skin and what it needs, thanks to Diksha.   

You have kept a very fine and groomed stubble. Share some grooming tips that you swear by. 

One great hack to look presentable instantly is to trim the stray hair on the neckbeard and clean off the hair on the nape of the neck. It brings out the beard and looks like a fresh cut. That’s what I do before a shoot when I am pressed on time.  

One clothing item in your wardrobe you can’t do without?

I am currently obsessed with wearing everything with vests. I want to design vests in different colours in my next collection because I realised there are no good-quality vests in nice colours for men in the Indian market that you can wear outside.  

Most men are experimenting with accessories and bold trends but some are still apprehensive about getting out of their comfort zone. What would you say to them?

I think I am not the right person to advise on it. The LGBTQ+ community has been doing that way before Gen Z. There are influencers from the LGBTQ+ community who have been experimenting with fashion for so long. They are doing great styling. So, those are the people to look up to for fashion and courage. And, I am glad that it is morphing into one and there is a sense of oneness that everyone wears everything and that should be okay. 

Fashion, acting, content. You're doing it all, but Is there anything you don't want to do?

[Even though] Content is something as intrinsically me as it gets, I feel like there’s not much that I would not do. It’s that a lot will evolve over time. My comedy will evolve. My business will evolve. The roles that I do as an actor should evolve. So, yeah, a lot of evolution, and not much that I won’t do.

Could you tell us about your creative journey so far? We want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

It was 2014 when I started making silly videos with my brother. [In] 2015, I thought I would do it properly as I loved doing it. And I’ve been making videos ever since. When I look back there were times when my family and I went through a really tough phase financially and otherwise. Things were really bad and it literally felt like I should get my life together and get a job and stuff like that. To be honest, I just feel like content creation saved me, as cliched or cringe it may sound. It is my sense of purpose to pursue art in whatever shape or form it takes.

What do you feel about the support that you have received for your content? 

Mostly, 90 percent of it has been good, and I’m very grateful for it. The 10 percent of online hate that literally everyone gets, never phased me for the most part of it. Although a couple of times it did [affect me]. But then I got back up quickly. Because maine chaar paanch saal bina kisi taareef ke videos banali thi na (I’d made videos for four to five years without any validation), [I realized that] I’d loved making videos for the sake of making videos. So after a point, nothing else mattered.

Shirt: Happi Space, Pants: Aroka, Shoes: Christian Louboutin, Necklace and bracelet: Azga, Rings: Azga and MDN

People think creating content is easy, but putting yourself out there for lakhs of people to judge can get scary. What advice can you give to someone who's looking to make a name in this space?

This was my realization for 2021, something I’d written down in my journal. It’s a piece of advice that I like to go back to every time I hit a bump or a creative block. It is to always treat creating content as a means to an end and not the end in itself. Which basically to me translates to - you shouldn’t be making a video to make a video. You don’t need fuel to create content, but when you create content it fuels you in turn to make more content, more good stuff, more things to give you that energy.

On the topic of trolling, has there ever been a troll who rather than offending you, actually made you laugh?

To be honest with you, I’m a very sensitive and emotional person. So whenever someone says anything mean to me, my instinct is to feel hurt. It’s never ‘haha’. I’ve realised that the best way to engage with negativity is to not engage with negativity. That is how you will stay true to your path and the things that you want to do.

How was your experience working on the sets of Lionsgate's 'Feels Like Home'?

My experience on the sets of ‘Feels Like Home’ was crazy. That is the only way I can put it. We were working long hours, and consecutively for days at a stretch. It was a tiring experience, but at the same time, it actually pushed me to my limits. 

This one’s for all those looking to get into the world of content. What's some advice you'd give to the folks just starting out?

By virtue of being a creative of person, a creator’s struggles are usually inside their head. It’s not like they don’t know [what to do]. Most platforms reward consistency as part of the algorithm, so one way to be do it regularly without ending up hating your content is to just not think about a lot, and just try to be 1% better [than what you were in the previous video]. 

But having said that, do not be so obsessed with consistency that you stop disregarding how you feel about your content. Take your time [to sit with your content]. People think it’s a race, in which the one who makes the ‘best’ content comes first. But it’s not a race. It’s a very wholesome and fulfilling process, to live and grow as a creator. So, take that time for yourself. Be honest with yourself, I can’t say this for anyone else, but I want to make sure that I’m proud of everything I’m creating.