It makes me happy to be in front of a camera: Raba Khan

The acclaimed magazine Forbes recently announced their 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2020, and the inclusion of Bangladesh's very own YouTuber Raba Khan has come as a pleasant surprise.

Khan was selected for her YouTube channel "The Jhakanaka Project," where she showcased parody videos made on social issues. Last year, she wrote a book named "Bandhobi," which became a best seller in the rokomari.com – an online book retailer.

Watch old Bangla song mashup by Raba Khan here  

It took Raba Khan nearly six years to come this far, and all this time she has been making satirical and comedic videos on various issues. She also sings and has worked as a Radio Jockey on Radio ABC. Khan has acted in television dramas as well.

A few Bangladeshi brands have hired her, sometimes to endorse their products, planning the marketing and sometimes as their brand ambassador. As a testimony to her influence, Unicef selected Khan in November 2018 as a Youth Ambassador to advocate for children's rights.

Watch Raba Khan video on makeup guide for boys here  

All these achievements contributed to Khan's placement among the top entrepreneurs in the 30 under 30 Asia list.

"I cannot express in words how happy I am. Everyone is congratulating me, I am enjoying it very much," she said to The Business Standard.

Raba Khan came to know about this elating news in February this year, and she had a photo shoot done for the list. But there was a condition that she had to keep things secret.

Out of the 30 people in the list, only 5 were chosen to be on the cover, and Raba Khan was one of the selected personalities. This is another thing that she is very happy about. But she is most proud because her father only subscribes Forbes at home and she made it to the cover.

Raba Khan became a featured honorary in the Media, Marketing and Advertising category.

"This is a huge achievement for me, as I was the only one nominated for this category in whole Asia," Raba Khan exclaimed. "Now I have to take on more responsibility and keep working harder."

When asked about how she started out, Khan said she started making videos without any concrete goal in her mind. She did not even have an idol, since there was not any female comedian in the country.

In that sense, Raba Khan can be called the first female comedian YouTuber of the country.

She started with just a camera and a tripod. Her brother has helped her all the way. From filming to editing everything was done by the siblings.

"I can now edit my own videos, which is a big achievement for me," she said.

Criticism has also followed Raba Khan through the years. Last year her book was widely criticised for its language. But criticism does not bother Raba Khan much. 

"Critics will always be there," she says. "We have to move forward through their criticism. I pay more attention to those who support me, more than the critics."

As a concluding remark, Raba Khan said, "The Forbes website featured a comment of me in its website, and this is what I want to say. It makes me happy to be in front of a camera. My comments make people happy, and it is an additional achievement."