After 15 Seconds of Fame

Many new short video platforms have sprung up since the ban on Chinese apps, and are vying for the loyalty of former TikTok stars. But how many will survive?

- Varsha Meghani

Jaydeep Gohil, better known as Hydroman on TikTok, shot to fame when he posted a video of himself dancing underwater. After practising in a swimming pool in his hometown of Rajkot for almost a year in 2012, Gohil convinced his father, a businessman, to build an over-the-ground concrete tank at home. “In the pool I could only practice for one hour, after that the next batch of swimmers would come in,” says the 25-year-old.

His father agreed and when he saw what his son was up to, thanks to an underwater camera, he was taken aback. Within a year, he bought him a 10,000 liter glass tank to let people see his moves live. In 2015, Gohil entered India’s Got Talent competition and made it to the semi-finals. Since then he’s been touring cities across India with live performances.

In early 2019, Gohil came across TikTok and decided to post a video on it “just for fun”. The video showed him dancing underwater to a peppy Bollywood tune, surfacing every now and then to breathe. Within minutes, the video went viral. “I then put up more videos, and all of them went viral,” says Gohil. He’s since showcased acts like cutting and eating fruit underwater, playing with a basketball, strumming a guitar, dressing up as a superhero, and frolicking with fish. His unique performances helped him amass 5.6 million followers on TikTok, and collaborations with brands such as Pepsi, Tide, and Idea.

With TikTok now banned in India, along with 59 other Chinese apps, owing to data security concerns, Gohil faces an uncertain future. “This is all I’ve done since I completed my Class 12,” he says. Yet he’s optimistic. “Other platforms will come up and I’ll rebuild my fan base.”