Enjoy making quality content and don’t just do it for the likes, the views, or the money: Indian GTA and Minecraft streamer Mithilesh “Mythpat” Patankar

GTA and Minecraft streamer, Mithilesh “Mythpat” Patankar, has been one of the fastest-growing video game YouTubers in India.

Much of his popularity can be attributed to the on-screen talent of mimicry that he portrays in all of his content.

Mythpat is also known for how versatile he is when it comes to approaching some of his more impromptu videos. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Esports’ Abhishek Mallick, the streamer opened up about his early struggles and the nuances that go into regularly creating original content.

Here is an excerpt of the conversation

Q. Mithilesh, first thing’s first! Tell our readers a bit about yourself. What is life like outside the YouTube persona of Mythpat?

Mythpat: Well, I am a YouTuber. I love making funny videos and editing content. I think I have finally found my calling. Life outside YouTube is calm and cool. To be honest, even when I am not making content, I am thinking of some other concept to create. I am pretty consumed by the platform and my channel on YouTube. On YouTube, I am more energetic. Outside YouTube, I am a bit composed.

Q. Though gaming is not the only thing that you create content on, titles like GTA 5, Minecraft, Free Fire, and PUBG Mobile still remain a significant part of your channel. How influential would you say video games have been for you while growing up? What were some of your favorite titles at the time?

Mythpat: Video games have been a part of my life since time immemorial. It has helped me a lot while growing up. I would like to take the opportunity here to mention some of my favorite games, like Assassin’s Creed, which has literally helped me build strong reflexes.

Video games are proven to improve brain functioning as well. So yes, playing has been an immensely important journey in nurturing and shaping my personality. I used to also play Spiderman and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish to play that on my channel now.

Q. How did the decision to become a full-time YouTuber come about? Tell us a bit about how you started and the hurdles you faced during the channel’s nascent months.

Mythpat: Well, I started by doing mimicry on my channel. I used to impersonate a lot of Bollywood stars. I also love mimicking outside the camera. I think it’s a great way to exercise your vocal cords and expressions. I then decided to infuse gaming into mimicking, and that became a total hit.

Within six months, my first video went viral. The primary reason for that was the editing. I knew to edit. I used to edit since I was in the 8th standard, I love editing, and it was precisely due to the way the video was edited that the video skyrocketed!

As soon as I hit 100k subscribers, I decided I wanted to take this up full-time. There were no major hurdles, to be honest. I am still growing and learning on the way and simply enjoying the journey.

Q. How supportive are your parents of your career choice? Especially now that you are one of the most successful Indian YouTubers.

Mythpat: My parents have been immensely supportive. I had asked for two years from them to see where and how far I can take my channel. They were patient with me and gave me time to explore. Just before I graduated from engineering, I had amassed 100k subscribers. After that, there was no going back.

Q. Your YouTube persona is called MythPat. Is there a story behind picking this particular name?

Mythpat: Essentially, Mythpat arises from my name, which is Mithilesh Patankar. The story behind this name is quite an interesting one. I had taken a trip to Lakshadweep Islands when I was in the 12th standard.

I was travelling with new people, and there was this group I got friendly with on the trip. One of the group members randomly called me Mythpat, and it kind of hit a chord with me. I really liked the sound of it and decided to keep it.

Q. You are by far one of the most entertaining Indian YouTubers out there. You specialize in creating hilarious narratives which revolve around playing a particular role on screen and mimicking Indian celebrities like Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan. How do you come up with such unique content? How much of it is scripted, and how much of it comes to you instinctively?

Mythpat: Most of my content comes instinctively. In fact, the videos that have done really well on my channel are all impromptu. The best ideas come to me when I am either taking a shower or sitting somewhere in silence. I think when I am in a state of tranquility, I get all the good content ideas.

Now, the minute the idea strikes me, I get down to executing it. Hence, you would notice that my videos are never forced. I realized there was a gap in the market when it came to integrating gaming and mimicry. No one is really doing that, so I instantly jumped into making it my forte.

Q. What was some of the most memorable content that you've done? Ones which you had a lot of fun creating.

Mythpat: The very recent fake marriage prank with Triggered Insaan. Oh, I loved making that video and how I made it. I think that, hands down, has got to be my most memorable video. I had travelled to Delhi for that. We were running short on time.

As soon as I reached Delhi, I changed my attire, got ready for the shoot, and executed it in the shortest time possible. I had too much fun during the making of the video.

Q. You are the only Indian YouTuber to have ever been nominated for the Streamy Awards. What were some of the emotions you went through when the nominations were finally announced? What were the reactions from friends and family?

Mythpat: Oh, it was a day to remember and cherish for life. All my friends and family members were very proud of me. Even I kind of patted my back. I never knew I could get nominated for such a prestigious award, and it took time to sink in as well.

I always wanted to travel to LA. Had it not been for the pandemic, I would have gotten a chance to represent India in LA. Nonetheless, these achievements only motivate me to do better every day.

Q. On; which video game do you enjoy creating content the most?

Mythpat: GTA 5 for sure. I love that game. I have been playing it for seven years, and I still can’t get enough of it.

Q. Content on what games receive the highest engagement on your channel? (would be nice if you can add as to why they receive higher viewership numbers)

Mythpat: Minecraft, without a doubt. It not only receives the highest engagement on my channel but on most of the gaming channels. I think it’s because Minecraft is the biggest game on YouTube. Just too many people play it. Hence, it receives a lot of traction.

Q. What are some of your thoughts on the growing PUBG Mobile community in India and how it was affected by the sudden ban?

Mythpat: The craze for PUBG Mobile in India was revolutionary. It had literally taken over not just the gaming community but all of India. When the ban was called on the game, the gaming community of India took a big hit. Gamers were numb and didn’t know what to do after.

A lot of gamers then got into content creation. The ban didn’t really affect me because I was not a PUBG Mobile enthusiast. I barely played the game. I know a lot of YouTubers in my personal capacity who were terribly affected by the ban. But they say that time is a healer. Eventually, everything and everyone will be fine.

Q. Any words of wisdom for the Indian YouTube content creators of tomorrow?

Mythpat: Well, all I would say is keep exploring yourself, your likes, and dislikes. Enjoy making content and don’t just make it for the likes, the views, the money.

I personally have never bothered about the likes and dislikes. I just believe in making good content, and that has always worked out for me. Do it for yourself. The idea should be to provide good content to the audience. If your content is good, engagement and subscribers will follow.