Ankkita Chauhan is a well-known female streamer in the Indian gaming scene. Based in Mumbai, Ankkita Chauhan started streaming games on YouTube since July 2018 and today she has over 151 k subscribers. She completed her Bachelors in Accounting and Finance and worked with a digital marketing firm. Ankkita Chauhan has now turned herself into a full-time streamer and aims to develop online content via her YouTube channel Ankkita C. In an exclusive interview with GuruGamer correspondent Imran Fazal, Ankkita Chauhan spoke about issues faced by male and female streamers and how she tackles trolls online. Read the excerpts...
How did you start streaming and how did your family react to this decision?
I am very fortunate to have such a supportive family. I was working as a full-time employee with a firm and it was then that one of my friends introduced me to PUBG Mobile. I started playing the game with friends and it was so addictive. Later, one of my friends opened a studio for live streaming games on YouTube.
I started playing PUBG on PC since then and opened my YouTube channel Ankkita C and started streaming. I got a good response from the audience. My channel grew and now I am a full-time streamer. I am sure 99 percent of streamers have faced issues from family but I am happy that my family supported me in whatever I did.
How difficult is it for a female streamer to strive in the Indian gaming industry?
I think both female and male streamers face similar challenges. Playing games online in front of an audience is not an easy job. One has to face criticism if things don't work out as per their viewpoint. At the end of the day, it's a game that I love to play and stream. Maybe in the future, we might have more female streamers so that the Indian gaming industry can be more interesting and pro-active.
As you said, criticism and trolls are often found during live streaming. Do you think female streamers receive more hate than the male streamers?
I don't think so. Male streamers face trolls when they fail while playing games and similarly female streamers face it. The only difference is that female streamer face misogynist comments. Female streamers are objectified and harassed. I have faced it and similarly, other female streamers too must have faced it. Comments criticizing gameplay are still acceptable but passing personal comments is just not acceptable.
Many streamers face trolls in their own way. How does Ankkita Chauhan deal with trolls?
I usually ignore trolls. It is only when someone crosses the line, I end up calling them out publicly. I believe not everybody deserves my attention. I have moderators who help me to keep the chat clean. I react only when a person is constantly spreading hatred. When it gets out of control I do give it back to them. Comments on videos are moderated with the keywords which block such abusive comments on the uploaded video. I have even stopped checking the comments which are held for review.
We have seen various streamers who abuse while streaming and the age group of the audience varies from 12 years old to 30 years old. Do you think there should be censorship on such content or the onus should be on the streamer?
So basically YouTube restricts the video which contains adult content. If the video has an adult or inappropriate content, the video can get demonetized. An adult can watch any content suitable for their choice. When it comes to reacting during the gameplay we come across hackers and this leads to frustration. Even I try to control my emotions but it becomes difficult to control it every time. But now I calm myself down and stop before I end up abusing.
What are your future plans and what should your fans expect from you in the future?
Being a full-time YouTube streamer now. I want to focus on growing my channel. I have a few exciting stuff coming up which I believe my audience and fans would love it. New content and various other things are being planned right now. It will be announced soon by me via social media platforms.