It was in the town square of Hajipur, near Patna, that I received a reality check on the changing patterns of news consumption. I was engaged in a typically animated conversation with a group of first-time voters, when one of the young men launched into a diatribe against tanashahi, or dictatorship. I was impressed by his passion and spirited arguments. “Looks like you are a political science student,” I remarked. “Arre, main biology padhta hoon (I study biology). But I have been watching Dhruv Rathee’s YouTube videos. I’m sure you have also!” he responded.

Yes, I had. Well, sort of. In February 2024, a Mumbai-based friend who doesn’t like Modi sent me a WhatsApp forward of a YouTube video by Dhruv Rathee provocatively titled “Is India Becoming a Dictatorship?” The video’s thumbnail had a visual of Modi staring coldly with devilish-looking eyes. “When will you guys on TV have the guts to do something like this!” my friend raged. Sensationalist headlines and arresting visuals are designed for YouTube virality. The lively and irreverent digital sphere made even tabloid TV look dull at times.