City doctor Deesha Umesh turns creator with purpose

Bengaluru

Deesha Umesh, a Gujarati-born, Bengaluru-raised doctor-turned-creator, is making waves online with her quirky, relatable content. A gold medallist in Homoeopathy Paediatrics from Rajiv Gandhi University, she transitioned from medicine into full-time content creation and now commands a loyal following on YouTube, Snapchat, and 2,67,000 Instagram fans.
“I always dreamed of the arts, maybe interior design, but medicine happened. After my studies, I took a gap year before joining the workforce. That’s when I stumbled into content creation and here I am, doing it full-time,” Deesha shared in an exclusive interview with News Trail.

The gap filled
During her internship, TikTok caught Deesha’s attention as she noticed many people creating and sharing videos online. “One day, I started posting too. There’s this one video of me simply climbing stairs, turning back, and smiling – that’s it. It got six million views,” she recalled.
She added that her early videos mainly catered to tier-three audiences, but over time, she evolved significantly as a creator, refining her content and approach while expanding her reach and engagement.

“In 2022, I began questioning my purpose as a content creator,” said Deesha. “People were busy chasing followers and attention, and I wondered if this was the limit. Realising that my influence could be used for good, I decided to donate my hair to an NGO to spread cancer awareness.”
“I went completely bald and shared it online with a certificate so people knew it was for a cause,” she added. The act inspired many others to donate and brought positivity to her community.

Deesha said that due to the stigma around it, she lost around 10,000 followers during that time. “But I was okay with it,” she said confidently. “Those were people who followed me only for how I looked, not for my content or who I am. I’d rather have followers who genuinely connect with my work and personality.”After completing her post-graduation, she urged her parents to let her pursue content creation full-time. “They were sceptical at first, but once I became financially independent, they supported my decision,” she said.

 Passing clouds
“Once I began creating content regularly and gaining followers, I noticed an unpredictable cycle; some videos performed well, others didn’t,” Deesha shared. “It made me question myself, especially with the hate and negative comments.”
She added, “I learned that if I’m getting hate, it means my content is reaching a wider audience.” However, the constant negativity took a toll. “I eventually went through clinical depression. The hate became overwhelming; when I donated my hair, people even spread false rumours that I had cancer.”

Deesha had been in a dark place for almost seven months, but she overcame it and came back stronger by deciding to start her own podcast in 2023.‘Deetalks’, a Kannada educational podcast, aims to fill the gap in regional learning content. “There’s plenty in Hindi and English, but none in Kannada,” she said. Passionate about sharing knowledge, she released 42 episodes across YouTube, Spotify, and Amazon Music. The podcast recently crossed 100K plays.

 Her motivation
Deesha reflected on key milestones in her journey, saying, “The first time I went out with my mother after gaining traction, people recognised me and called out my name. Later, my sister and mother were recognised too. My mum felt proud, realising I was doing something right.”
She celebrated hitting 100k Instagram followers and participating in 10X India, a women’s empowerment programme alongside Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik. She was also invited to a sit-down event with 15 inspiring women, including Sowmya Reddy. For Deesha, true success is seeing followers touched by her content, motivating her to keep creating and inspiring, one reel at a time.