CP or Lodhi Garden, public parks are the new video studios for social media stars – Times of India

Jogging uncles, canoodling couples, and tourists are part of the familiar human tapestry in Delhi’s public parks. But now, there’s a new crew making its presence felt – the video stars. Their styled hair and strange antics make them easy to spot, whether it’s enacting dramatic breakups or breakdancing, as a crowd forms around them.
Mohammad Waseem and his posse of seven friends spend hours every day doing this, often in Lodhi Garden, Connaught Place’s Central Park and a lane in the market’s B-block (dubbed TikTok lane by some). Waseem dropped out of school in class 6 and works at a salon, but his real passion is making funny, romantic or dramatic content. “We spend five hours a day making TikToks and then about two hours editing them. I don’t want to be famous, but to show the people in my neighbourhood who say that we can do nothing of value that they are wrong,” says the Nizamuddin resident. A fringe benefit is that it’s “hard to be single on TikTok”, he says.
For these young women and men, public spaces make for scenic backdrops. “Home-made stuff doesn’t do well, even if you invest in a ring light. Videos filmed outdoors go viral more easily,” says 25-year-old model Ayesha Kaur, who has 7.5 lakh followers on the platform. She has moved to Lodhi Garden after the Saket mall where she filmed disallowed videos.

Honey, a 21-year-old TikToker, goes to Connaught Place’s B-block lane a couple of times a week. According to him, the appeal lies in the international-looking buildings, the great lighting and the mutual understanding between the various groups of TikTokers to leave each other alone. “People also go to Dilli Haat in Pitampura, and Central Park,” he says. Other popular locations include Hauz Khas Village and the park near Ansal Plaza.

Another advantage of filming in public locations is the live audience. Sometimes, huge crowds watch young performers strut their stuff. Professional dancer Fredy was recently performing in the park when dozens of people crowded around, phones out to record his moves. “It’s more likely to go viral when you film so publicly. People post behind the scenes videos, and those are more likely to get big, even if they are not from my account,” he says.

It’s not just Delhi, public spaces have become social media backdrops in other cities and towns too. But in Delhi, Connaught Place is the most popular hub for TikTok. “What Bombay is for Bollywood, CP is TikTokWood,” says actor Shahrukh Rana. It helps that it’s so central and well-connected. “I live in New Ashok Nagar and some of my friends live in Dwarka, so it’s easy to meet here,” he says.

Whatever one thinks of young people spending hours filming videos, the creators themselves see it as a way to a different life. “So many people are studying, but there aren’t that many job opportunities afterwards. My father is a farmer and over time, his thinking on this has broadened. In the village, it’s always about studies-studies-studies. Now, he just wants me to be happy,” he says. If nothing else, these performances are a form of entertainment for others, he adds: “Earlier, the uncle-aunties in parks would stare at couples. But now they can just stare at us.”

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