Maleesha Kharwa: From Mumbai's shanty to content creator

The teenager started gathering eyeballs after Hoffman posted her videos in which she was seen giving a tour of her house, talking about her aspirations, and also teaching Hindi to him. Kharwa’s big, starry-eyed dreams, buoyant spirit and winning smile got her an opportunity to feature on the cover of The Peacock magazine. There was no stopping her ever since. Another turning point in her life came when luxury Indian cosmetics brand Forest Essentials chose her as the face of its Yuvati campaign celebrating young Indian women.

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She recently moved out of the hut she previously inhabited to a rented one-room kitchen flat, and now she doesn’t have to walk miles to fill up water cans or use the public washroom. “I got my first salary from Instagram after going viral. When my manager [Hoffman] handed over ₹35,000, I couldn’t believe it or even realise how big the amount was,” says the 16-year-old over a WhatsApp video call. It was a big moment for the entire family, as no one has earned this much at once.

Kharwa lives with her father, younger brother, uncle and cousins. The family hails from Kalol, Gujarat, but they’ve lived in Mumbai all their lives. Her father works for an event management company and dresses up as cartoon characters for children’s birthday parties. “My father was in a lot of debt. People used to repeatedly call him to get their money back. He never told us anything, but I understood his situation,” adds Kharwa, the youngest member on Forbes India’s W-Power list. Kharwa’s income has helped her father pay off his debt, and now he’s capable of lending money to others in need.

“Maleesha, in the most innocent and authentic way, has always consistently shown this compulsion to give back and take care of other people,” Hoffman tells Forbes India. “We’ve developed something called ‘Maleesha People’ which we will be announcing in some months. We’re going to have an open submission, and anyone from all over the world can send their story. Let us know their vision and how a little help can assist them in achieving their dreams.”

Kharwa is gearing up for her class 10 board exams, scheduled to take place in March. She studies at a government-run non-profit. After gaining popularity, people insisted that she enrol herself into a private school. But she says, “I’ve studied at the same school since grade one, and all my teachers are quite good. And I also feel I should not forget where I eventually come from.”