From cubicle to camera: How Pramod Paul turned corporate burnout into humour

Bengaluru

Pramod Paul (@pramod.here) is a 24-year-old digital content creator who hails from the quiet landscapes of Gownipalli in Kolar and later moved to the bustling city of Bengaluru. With a growing community of 94.6k followers on Instagram, Pramod has successfully bridged the gap between a high-stakes finance career and a flourishing creative life. 

He is widely recognised for his versatile skits that switch seamlessly between Kannada, English, and Telugu, capturing the comedic nuances of workplace culture and the absurdity of corporate life with a precision only an insider could possess. This trilingual approach has helped him build a diverse audience who see their own daily frustrations and triumphs reflected in his characters.  Pramod Paul has proven that a creator can be both a visual poet and a relatable comedian, proving that the most compelling stories are often the ones told with a touch of humour and a lot of heart.

It started with a failed podcast
“I was always the guy who’d rather be outside the classroom and on stage all the time. I used to take part in many creative activities and even performed Qawwali at school, since I was good at singing”, said Pramod Paul in an exclusive interview with News Trail, reflecting on his journey to becoming an online creator while balancing a full-time corporate job. During his pre-university years, he and his friends formed a band and once attempted to record a podcast.

However, after completing the first episode, they discovered that the video had not been captured. A subsequent episode was recorded but never uploaded online. However, this setback inspired him to create content independently. In 2025, he began producing and uploading videos on his own account. “One of my first videos was a dance trend reel, however one of the official reels I posted was during the Lok Sabha elections - a humorous satirical clip that got a few likes”, he laughed.

Chindi Salary
One of his most popular series is called ‘Chindi Salary’, where he, as a corporate employee, compares small businesses’ earnings to his own income to see if switching jobs might be worth it. One standout video in the series, which received 9 million views, analysed his travel expenses in comparison with the earnings of small businesses such as auto drivers and tea stalls. This video was shared by ‘India Today’ on their Instagram account last year, following the announcement of the Union Budget 2025. Pramod described it as a significant milestone in his career as a creator, especially at that stage.

Leveraging language as a creative tool
“At one point, I had juiced out most of the generic corporate jokes, so I had to start thinking bigger and expand the content I made”, Pramod said, reflecting on his decision to push his niche beyond just corporate humour. Since he spoke Kannada and Telugu, he realised he could explore more themes across these languages. That’s how he came up with the ‘Telugu mom’ character, which quickly gained popularity among his followers and performed well with the algorithm.

Additionally, he started making videos in Malayalam, inspired by his friends who were Malayalis, and continued creating content in Kannada and English, even posting videos of singing as well. One notable success was his Instagram reel on the ‘Different dialects of Telugu’, which was initially posted as a 24-hour Instagram story. The reel brought him close to 1,200 new followers and sparked his motivation to explore even more multilingual content.

Side hustle blueprint
Pramod emphasises that “your whole personality is your niche”, suggesting that an individual’s unique persona should define their style rather than adhering to pre-existing content categories. He further advises that corporate content or online humour should remain conceptual and relatable, avoiding personal attacks or targeting individuals.

Addressing aspiring creators, he encourages them to begin producing and uploading content promptly, cautioning against prolonged self-doubt. 
He stresses the importance of maintaining financial stability before fully committing to the digital space, stating, “Do not quit your jobs and jump directly into the industry without a backup or stable income, because relevance can fade at any time”.

Pramod revealed that he is aiming to reach 100,000 followers on his platform. Looking ahead, his long-term goals include launching his own podcast or show and even trying his hand at stand-up comedy.