TikTok star Faisal Shaikh talks about life as an influencer after the ban on the video sharing platform

TikTok is gone, but it has left behind TikTokers who have found new platforms to entertain their fans and followers.

One such TikTok star is Faisal Shaikh aka 'Mr Faisu' who had a life-changing experience on the Chinese video sharing platform.

"TikTok changed my life. All the name and fame that I have right now is all because of the platform. People recognize me not only in India but also internationally. I even have fans in Mauritius where I visited recently and was recognized by many people there. When I had started on TikTok, I wanted people to know me and that's exactly what I got," Faisal Shaikh told Moneycontrol.

Along with fame, TikTok was also a strong source of earnings for Shaikh.  According to an Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) report released in July this year, Shaikh earned around Rs 4 to Rs 4.5 crore on the platform, which could have gone up significantly if not for the ban as earnings of top TikTok stars had increased during the coronavirus-led lockdown.

"Before I started making videos on TiktTok, I was not strong enough financially. I was studying and working simultaneously and at that time never expected to get this kind of work or money. But my dedication on the platform was 100 percent. I would make 14-15 videos in a day. I used to make four to five videos right after breakfast and would continue the momentum throughout the day," he said.

Shaikh, who made lip sync videos, short romantic content, simple dance and slow-motion videos, had as many as 30.8 million followers and was considered the second biggest TikTok star.

But things changed for all TikTok influencers when the platform was banned in India on June 29.

"When the platform was banned, my mind stopped working. For a long time I thought TikTok would come back and that's why I did not join any new platform. While many of my friends and other influencers had already joined other platforms, I waited. Then I got an app that according to me is similar to TikTok, called Josh."

Shaikh had joined Josh, a short video sharing platform in late August and since then has acquired 5.8 million followers. While the number of followers is significantly lower than what he had on TikTok, the large follower base had been acquired in more than two years' time.

TikTok changed my life. All the name and fame that I have right now is all because of the platform. People recognize me not only in India but also internationally

- Faisal Shaikh

But when it comes to only the short video sharing space, Shaikh has a long way to go to reach the huge fan following he had on TikTok.

However, when it comes to earnings, there has been no impact, said Shaikh.

"My standing in terms of earnings has not changed. My brand associations continue. Plus, there is revenue coming from Josh for making content on their platform," he said.

He further said that during the lockdown, the number of brands associating with him for content had increased. "But in the last few months what I earned through 10 brand associations, now I get the same amount from four to five brand deals."

For Shaikh, the setback in terms of revenue was not big, as he had faced a similar situation when TikTok had banned him following a complaint about a video that one of his team members had posted about the killing of Tabrez Ansari last year. Tiktok had then suspended Shaikh's account along with those of two others. Shaikh was banned for around a year and came back on TikTok in March this year.

"I felt a similar setback when TikTok had blocked me. For a month, I was unsure what to do whether to join a new platform or to wait," he said.

When Shaikh was banned on TikTok, he utilized the time to venture into other businesses. He launched his own deodorant brand called Crush.

He is also shooting for an upcoming ALT Balaji web series called Bang Baang. And will soon be seen in two music videos, of which one is being produced by Saregama.

While Shaikh believes that without TikTok he wouldn't have been a successful content creator, he is happy about the fact that after the TikTok ban many Indian video sharing platforms have emerged.

The feel is different to create content for an Indian platform, said Shaikh.

Yet, he said, even now people recognize him as a TikToker.

While Shaikh has his plate full as he is either busy making four to five videos on Josh every day or shooting for the web series or music videos, he has one aspiration.

The die-hard Salman Khan fan wishes to be on the big screen soon.

"By doing a web series, I have got the vision and the process of shooting. People want to see me on the big screen and hopefully I will soon be there," he added.