Growing up as a shy child in Mumbai, Jatin Thanvi found solace by watching videos of Mr Bean, the popular character created and played by British comedian Rowan Atkinson. Little did he know his obsession would one day turn him into a social media star.
Thanvi, now 22, is popularly known as “Jr Mr Bean” from his videos on YouTube, where he has 425,000 subscribers, and on Instagram, with more than 360,000 followers. His hilarious videos, in which he emulates Mr Bean, have racked up millions of views. One video, posted in November last year, has been viewed more than 130 million times.
“I never thought my videos would become this popular,” Thanvi tells The National. “I just did it for fun, to come out of my shell, and had no idea it would pick up like this.”
Thanvi, who once dressed up as Mr Bean to a school fancy dress competition, says friends and family members have been referring to him by that moniker for years.
But it was in 2020, while in the midst of a coronavirus-imposed global lockdown, that he posted his first video on TikTok as Jr Mr Bean, a few months before India banned the app. Dressed in character, complete with a suit, trademark Mr Bean red tie and ubiquitous stuff toy, the video went viral and received more than 56 million views in a matter of days.
Encouraged by the response, Thanvi began posting short clips daily, each getting more views than the last. He knew he was on to something when people began to recognise him outside in the streets.
“I was also getting so many messages from people saying they love my videos and requesting more content,” he says.
The appeal of his videos, Thanvi believes, is in recreating the antics of a well-loved global character, and inserting him into his every-day Indian setting.
“I scroll through social media just to see what's trending and we also make videos about daily life scenarios in an Indian family,” he explains.
Thanvi edits all the videos himself, with his friends helping to shoot and appearing in many of his videos.
Last year, after realising he’s found his calling, Thanvi dropped out of his engineering course to make videos full time. Predictably, his parents were not pleased.
“I couldn't manage my studies and passion simultaneously,” he says. “My parents were confused by all of this and refused to allow me to drop out. But I believe you have to have the courage of your convictions. And after some time, they realised that I could make a living out of my art, so they are now happy.”
Today, Thanvi is managed by an agency called Projekt Vibe who help him strategise his content as well as monetise his work. He’s currently working on a few projects for YouTube.
“Life has changed immensely and growing everyday,” he says. “I've grown as an actor and I feel happy when people get a smile on their face through my content.”
Of course, online popularity also comes with its own drawbacks. Thanvi has been called everything from a “cringe comedian” to a “copycat” with “no talent”. Many have told him to “get a proper job”.
“Everybody has haters in life when you grow. But I guess that shouldn’t stop anybody from achieving their dreams,” he says. “Every day, I wake up to beautiful messages from my fans who tell me that I'm the reason for their smiles. This is what I need.”
There’s still a lot to achieve, Thanvi says. He’d love to create a series similar to Mr Bean and continue Atkinson’s legacy as Junior Mr Bean. He’d also love to do films, if the opportunity comes along.
“I want to create a series with a positive message to inspire people,” he says.
But the biggest dream right now, unsurprisingly, is to meet Mr Bean himself.
“It is not in my hands, but it will be a dream come true,” he says. “I will work harder to have my voice heard by him. And maybe if I'm lucky, then I might get a chance.”
