“Besides playing Free Fire, I really enjoy just sitting and chatting and connecting with the audience”: Mansha “Laila” Rathore

Mansha “Laila” Rathore, better known as Gaming with Laila, is one of the most well-known Free Fire content creators in India.

With over 200k followers on Booyah and almost 1.5M subscribers on YouTube, Laila is easily recognizable to any Free Fire fan. From fun-filled prank videos to streaming Free Fire, The RedOwl Gaming content creator has garnered massive success.

In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda’s Suryadeepto Sengupta, Mansha “Laila” Rathore opened up about her journey, her experience making content, and of course, Free Fire.

The following is an excerpt of the conversation.

---

Mansha, I don’t think many of your fans know a lot about your origin story and how you got started with content creation. So can you tell us a bit about your early days and what inspired you to seek a career in video games?

Mansha: Honestly, the biggest credit goes to the lockdown. I would be so bored sitting at home, and just for fun, I started playing video games. I actually started by playing Candy Crush on my phone. So when I looked into other popular games to try out, PUBGm and Free Fire jumped out. Personally, I felt more drawn towards Free Fire, be it for their fun character design or the beautiful outfits.

After that, I started uploading videos of the game. I never imagined that I would be in this position today. So yeah, the credit goes to the pandemic. Unfortunately, it cost a lot of people their careers, but for me, it made my career.

Gaming with Laila currently has over 1.46M subscribers, making it one of India’s most popular video game content YouTube channels. Was this level of success something you anticipated when starting?

Mansha: I never imagined that I’ll be in this position or that there would be such a drastic change within such a short period of time. Every aspiring content creator wants that 100k and so did I, but after getting that, I never thought I’d cross a million. I don’t know what’s in the future for me; I’m just glad to have the love and support from the audience, so they deserve all the credit.

You have a massive follower base of over 257.7K on Booyah. How influential has the platform been in the growth of Free Fire content?

Mansha: Within a month, I crossed 200k on Booyah. The audience and moderators over there are very supportive. I don’t have to think much about the Free Fire content. Besides playing, I really enjoy just sitting and chatting and connecting with the audience. The more you can connect with your audience, the more you can grow. It totally matters to the audience. You’ll have the support from your audience on whichever platform you go to, be it YouTube, Booyah, or any other platform.

What’s the atmosphere like back at home? What do your parents think of your career choice as a video game content creator?

Mansha: The best thing at my home is the support of my family. At first, they weren’t very supportive, but now that I’m earning and they see content creation as the amazing career it is, they are extremely supportive.

I also really enjoy spending time with my family. Earlier, I had to stay at a different place due to my job and could only visit my family on Sundays. But now I am able to spend more time with my family. As for my content, I’m not limiting myself to only Free Fire; I’ll try out and play many other games.

You have been a Redowl Gaming content creator for quite a while. Do tell our readers a bit about that relationship. Red owl recently unveiled the Owl’s Nest, India's Most Lavish Gaming House. What can you tell us about the house?

Mansha: The atmosphere there is amazing. I only visited there once, and I got to meet a lot of amazing people. They are very approachable and very supportive. Red owl gaming is going to grow a lot quite soon because they are totally OP.

Free Fire has been instrumental in the growth of your channel as well as a massive growth of mobile esports in the entire South and Southeast Asia over the last couple of years. How does the game set itself apart from others?

Mansha: Free Fire is really fun. In comparison to PUBGm, which has a bigger focus on survival, I really like picking up fights and engaging opponents. Other than that, there are a lot of differences between the games. But the one I noticed most is the gameplay approach of survival vs engagement.

Do you think the ban of PUBG mobile propelled Free Fire to the forefront or did the competition help in the growth of both games?

Mansha: To be honest, yeah I think to some extent the ban of PUBGm did help the game grow. After the ban, the audience and players looked for other games to invest in, and Free Fire was available to play and enjoy.

Speaking of PUBG mobile, Krafton recently released Battlegrounds Mobile India following a massive hype since its announcement. Do you feel the game will be pivotal to the growth of Mobile esports in India?

Mansha: Yeah BGMI has got a lot of hype, and sure it looks very fun and familiar to the fans of PUBGm. BGMI will surely along with other games will surely play a big role in the growth of mobile esports in India.

One of the main aspects of your content is the fun and amazing vlogs and prank videos you make. What are some of the videos you had the most fun making?

Mansha: I really enjoy making prank videos. The reactions are always so fun and unexpected. Sometimes it’s hilarious, sometimes they get so scared, and when they realize that it’s a prank, oh man, the reaction. It’s like a golden moment. So that’s why I love making Prank Videos.

What’s the future like for Gaming with Laila? What can fans expect from the channel in the coming months?

Mansha: One of the things I try to maintain is never to do the same videos. I always try to vary my content. My routine is such that I wake up thinking about what new and different content I should make so that my audience enjoys it. So one thing I can promise is new and different content that will definitely be fun to watch.