Hyderabad’s love for food is undeniable. With its rich culinary heritage, from biryani to Irani chai, food has always been at the heart of the city’s culture. So, it is no surprise that food blogging has long been the city’s most popular content genre on Instagram. For years, food bloggers have shaped dining trends, introduced hidden gems and showcased the city’s diverse flavours.
But now, a new wave of content creators is expanding Hyderabad’s digital landscape beyond food. From comedy to storytelling, these influencers are redefining what Hyderabadis engage with online and proving that there is much more to explore in Hyderabad.
One glance through Anwar’s Instagram feed and it is clear that he effortlessly blends Gen Z humour with Hyderabadi charm, creating content that especially resonates with the city’s youth. Surprisingly, Anwar’s content creation journey wasn’t a planned one but was born out of curiosity. “I didn’t really have any inspiration,” he admits. Initially, he would record random videos without any intention to post but driven by his love for gaming, it was in 2018 he uploaded his first gaming video.
While he primarily focuses on comedy today, he doesn’t like to limit himself to a single niche. “I create what I feel like- sometimes comedy, sometimes intellectual content and other things.” While he admits that consistency isn’t his strongest suit, he pushes himself to create content, often drawing inspiration from trends and adding his own unique twist to it.
His advice to aspiring content creators? “Create at least 100 videos to experiment with different styles and by the time you are done, you’ll know what kind of content creator you can become,” he said.
Wasae’s Instagram feed is a beautiful blend of nostalgia and storytelling, capturing Hyderabad beyond its cliches. His content delves into the soul of the city, unearthing stories that are often overlooked in the modern-day. “Hyderabad is a city where a lot of people reside, and in each of them resides a Hyderabad,” he says, emphasizing how every person and place holds a unique tale. Without confining himself to a specific niche, Wasae creates content he personally enjoys, which, to his surprise, resonates with many.
For him, inspiration comes from the streets themselves. “Every lane, every old shop with an old board is a story. Even an old watchmaker’s shop will have its own story with tools probably older than me,” Wasae reflects, “Every untold story is a story lost in time, and every story documented is a lesson learnt from time.”
Beyond personal storytelling, he sees a larger vision. “Hyderabad has a lot to offer than just Biryani and Charminar. We need to do more collectively to turn what I believe is possible into reality- making Hyderabad the Art Capital of India.”
Let That Serum Sink In started when Raisa and Rehan were just Hyderabadi medical students who turned to skincare as a form of self-care during the pandemic. “We realized there was a lot of misinformation out there, so we decided to create content that combines honest reviews and science-backed advice,” says Rehan.
Navigating Hyderabad’s skincare scene wasn’t easy as people aren’t really aware of how science-backed skincare works. Rehan, in particular, faced scepticism as a man advocating skincare, often encountering outdated notions of masculinity. However, they both remain committed to promoting skin inclusivity, emphasizing that skincare is for everyone and educating people about the basics of building healthy skin.
Balancing content creation with their medical careers, they rely on teamwork to stay consistent. Their advice to aspiring creators? “Go with your gut.”
“I started creating content because Hyderabad’s streets, stories, and art forms felt too rich to be left unnoticed. No one was telling these stories the way I envisioned, so I took that responsibility,” Misbah explains the inspiration behind his videos.
For Misbah, fresh content comes from truly living in the city- walking through its lanes, talking to its people and experimenting with storytelling styles. However, it does come with its fair share of challenges. Being one of the first in Hyderabad to approach storytelling wasn’t easy. People didn’t get it at first. But he stayed consistent, kept diving deeper into the city’s culture, and slowly built trust with local artisans.
He believes people connect with real stories and real people. “Focus on storytelling and show up consistently. And trust me, when your work speaks, everyone listens,” he concludes.
Faheem ul Haq and Shazia Saleem, a husband-wife duo, have recently ventured into content creation, offering Hyderabadi audiences advice on various topics. With Shazia’s 13 years of experience as a counselling psychologist and Faheem’s deep roots in entertainment, their conversations at home were always unique- especially Shazia’s takes. “Whenever a topic came up, Faheem would have his view, and I’d bring mine as a psychologist. That’s when we realized these conversations needed a bigger platform,” Shazia shares.
Their content is entirely spontaneous and unscripted, inspired by real-life situations and cases Shazia encounters in her practice. “We never plan our videos,” Faheem explains. “If I say something that sparks an important discussion, Shazia immediately says, ‘Let’s make a video on this.’” Their goal is not just to entertain but to bring social reform by encouraging meaningful conversations that resonate with Hyderabadis.
For aspiring content creators, Faheem advises, “Social media is a powerful tool—use it to showcase your talent.” Shazia, on the other hand, stresses patience and consistency.
