Meet Kaartik & Rekka, the M’sian Couple Famous on TikTok for Their Relatable & Funny Tamil B40 Content

As reported by Bernama, although many influencers nowadays have ‘atas’ brands like Dyson, Apple iPhones, and Coach on their pages, the couple stand out from the crowd with their simple, yet hilarious and meaningful videos. 38-year-old Kaartik, a lorry driver and Rekka create short videos about ‘a Tamily family’ to convey family-related messages.

The two are parents to five children aged between 3 and 20. Through his videos, Kaartik also wants to highlight that family life can be fulfilling without a luxurious lifestyle. Instead of fancy brands, they work with physiotherapy clinics and simple nail shops.

Their venture is truly a family affair, as Kaartik said, “Our 12-year-old daughter helps with filming and editing. This is great exposure for her to hone her skills.”

Their starting point

Kaartik started becoming active on social media during the Movement Control Order (MCO) when he did not have much work to do as a lorry driver due to the pandemic.

Kaartik then discovered his talent as an influencer during a social media coaching session with his mentor, Ahmad Badli Badaruddin. Before that, he had no exposure to social media and only 26 TikTok followers.

@kaartik_rk Akak pandai menari... #kaartik_rk #rekkaartik #learnfrmrk #couplegoals #marriedlife #husbandwife #todayilearned #goodvibes #funny #couplecomedy #CapCut #chickendancesong #chickendance #trendingvideo #VempireArmy #AksoSupaNova #AksoSupaNova12k #LeadingTheEvolution ♬ original sound - Kaartik Krishnan

However, Kaartik quickly found that he had a knack for it. “During the coaching session, they trained us to create videos and set a target of gaining 1,000 followers within a week. So, I made a Tamil-language TikTok video and surprisingly gained 8,000 followers. My mentor was shocked and gave me a second challenge to reach 20,000 followers.” To those who aren’t tech-savvy, it is hard for some people to gain even 1K followers after a year.

He added, “In one week, I gained 45,000 followers, and that is when my mentor recognised my hidden talent, which he said I could develop to become an influencer. However, I needed an identity so we decided to focus on content related to the B40 community.”

An entertaining couple

Kaartik and Rekka frequently amuse their followers with their playful quibbles. “What are those who are very happy in this world called in English?,” Rekka asked in Tamil. Kaartik cheekily answered, “Unmarried,” as his wife jokingly threatened to hit him with a cooking utensil.

@kaartik_rk Dalam bahasa Inggeris jawapan apa ye?? #kaartik_rk #rekkaartik #learnfrmrk #couplegoals #marriedlife #husbandwife #todayilearned #goodvibes #funny #couplecomedy #deepavali2024 #deepavali #qoutesoftheday #CapCut ♬ original sound - Kaartik Krishnan

One of their latest videos shows Kaartik celebrating Deepavali by loading a shopping trolley with bags and bags of rice. His wife thinks he wants to host an open house, but unexpectedly, he donates the money to less fortunate students for Deepavali instead. Although Kaartik is not wealthy, he donated what he could afford out of the goodness of his heart, which touched his followers.

In the comments, he wrote, “We want to share our blessings with others because we have also experienced difficulties before.”

The couple boasts a diverse audience, and interestingly, a look at their comments section shows that 90% of their commenters are from the Malay community.

@kaartik_rk Selamat Hari Deepavali... @highway69 #kaartik_rk #rekkaartik #learnfrmrk #couplegoals #marriedlife #husbandwife #todayilearned #goodvibes #positivevibes #helpinghand #sharingiscaring #CapCut #deepavali2024 #deepavali ♬ original sound - Kaartik Krishnan

Speaking to Bernama, Kaartik said, “Initially, our videos had no subtitles because they were intended for the Indian community. But surprisingly, many people from other races also enjoyed what we were presenting. The idea to add subtitles came after Malay followers requested them because they didn’t understand Tamil.”

He added, “So, we followed their suggestion and as expected, we received a lot of positive feedback stating that the videos were very relatable as they depict situations that happen in homes and everyday life…the situations can be funny or serious.”

A balancing act

Kaartik was asked how he balances his job, family, and social media commitments. He admitted it was challenging, but with his wife’s support and the motivation of their growing followers, he manages to allocate his time effectively.

He said, “We try to upload at least one video a day. Usually, we record at home after 10pm to avoid disturbing the neighbours. We’ve even received comments asking us to post videos every Monday to help relieve the Monday Blues.”

@kaartik_rk pencapaian sebenar sebagai influencer... #kaartik_rk #rekkaartik #learnfrmrk #couplegoals #marriedlife #husbandwife #todayilearned #goodvibes #motivation #CapCut ♬ original sound - Kaartik Krishnan

“By being influencers, we’ve learned many new things like video editing, creating graphics and so on, but most importantly, we’ve made a lot of friends.”

The two also have big dreams. “In the long term, we plan to set up an agency, like a modelling agency to manage local influencers.”

We wish the two all the best!