Pandit debotosh dey: put up new post initial version - done

2026-04-18T16:56:28Z

put up new post initial version - done

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{{Short description|Indian YouTuber}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox youtuber
| name = Akash Banerjee
| image = Akash Banerjee.png
| caption =
| native_name_lang = hi
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|03|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Lucknow]]
| alma_mater = {{Ubl
| [[La Martinière College]]
| [[Hindu College, Delhi|Hindu College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA (Hons)]] in History)
| [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi|St. Stephens College]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]] in History)
}}
| occupation = {{hlist| |Radio jockey|YouTuber}}
| years_active = 2006–present
| known_for = [[Caricature]] Bhakt Banerji
| youtube_handle = thedeshbhakt
| youtube_display_name = The Deshbhakt
| youtube_years_active =
| youtube_genre = {{hlist| Politics | Satire | Interviews }}
| youtube_subscribers = 6.62 million
| youtube_views = 1.17 billion

| stats_update =18 april 2026
}}
'''Akash Banerjee''' (born 31 March 1980) is an Indian [[YouTuber]], radio jockey and political satirist. He is known for his YouTube channel "'''The Deshbhakt'''" a satirical show focusing on social, political and environmental issues and his caricature "'''Bhakt Banerjee'''". As of September 2024, he has over 5 million regular viewers and over 6.62 million subscribers,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bansal |first=Varsha |title=India's Government Wants ,Total Control of the Internet to view in early 2026 1.17 Billion April|url=https://www.wired.com/story/indias-government-wants-total-control-of-the-internet/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> with ''[[The Washington Post]]'' calling Deshbhakt "one of the biggest YouTube channels in India".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Verma |first=Pranshu |date=26 September 2023 |title=He live-streamed his attacks on Indian Muslims. YouTube gave him an award. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/26/india-monu-manesar-viligante-social-media/ |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref>

== Career ==

Initially working in [[Radio Mirchi]] and [[Times Now]], Banerjee started working in [[India Today]] as a senior correspondent covering stories like the [[2008 Mumbai attacks|2008 Mumbai terror attacks]] and the [[Naxalite–Maoist insurgency|Naxal insurgency]]. Disillusioned by TV journalism he moved back to Radio Mirchi where he worked till 2018.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Munjal |first=Dhruv |title=This DeshBhakt Questions Everything |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/special/this-deshbhakt-questions-everything/20190518.htm |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Rediff |language=en}}</ref>

While working in radio; Banerjee was inspired to start his YouTube channel as a satirical show mixing humour with political commentary.<ref>"[https://www.business-standard.com/article/elections/this-poll-season-akash-banerjee-hopes-to-take-political-satire-mainstream-119040501216%201.html This poll season, Akash Banerjee hopes to take political satire mainstream]" by Dhruv Munjal, [[Business Standard]], Apr 05 2019.</ref> One of Banarjee's popular caricatures is Bhakt Banarjee who is portrayed as a fervid supporter of the [[Government of India|BJP government]] and often berates the opposition and people critical of the government.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghosh |first=Devarsi |date=2019-02-03 |title=The Indian YouTube wars: Political video influencers are heating up the internet in election year |url=https://scroll.in/article/909010/the-indian-youtube-wars-political-video-influencers-are-heating-up-the-internet-in-election-year |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=[[Scroll.in]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Bhakt Banarjee is often seen interviewing journalists like [[Ravish Kumar]], politicians and other YouTubers like [[Dhruv Rathee]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Scroll Staff |date=2019-08-22 |title=Watch: I'm not anti-Modi, I'm pro-journalism, news anchor Ravish Kumar tells satirist Akash Banerjee |url=https://scroll.in/video/934745/watch-im-not-anti-modi-im-pro-journalism-news-anchor-ravish-kumar-tells-satirist-akash-banerjee |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=[[Scroll.in]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nair |first=Roshan H. |title=Political comedy is no joke |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/political-comedy-is-no-joke-767706.html |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

He has also authored the book "Tales from Shining India and Sinking India" in 2013 about events that took place in recent India and the inner-workings of broadcast television in India.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-02-20 |title=Akash Banerjee's Tales from Shining and Sinking India |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/akash-banerjees-tales-from-shining-and-sinking-india/articleshow/17938982.cms |access-date=2023-11-07 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In a review, the [[The Sunday Guardian|Sunday Guardian]] described it as "lacking substance" and "self-aggrandizement",<ref>{{Cite web |last=swati |date=2013-01-11 |title=Book Review: Banerjee's essays are a banal mish-mash of sound bytes |url=https://sundayguardianlive.com/books/946-book-review-banerjee-s-essays-are-banal-mish-mash-sound-bytes |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |language=en-US}}</ref> while [[Rekhta (website)|Rekhta]] described it as a "realistic and detailed account on how broadcast media works in the country".<ref>{{Cite web |last=rekhtabooks.com |title=Tales From Shining And Sinking India – Rekhta Books {{!}} Best of Hindi Urdu Literature Books |url=https://rekhtabooks.com/products/tales-from-shining-and-sinking-india |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=rekhtabooks.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
* Tales from Shining India and Sinking India (2013)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Banerjee |first=Akash |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E7lNmwEACAAJ |title=Tales from Shining and Sinking India |date=2013 |publisher=Amaryllis |isbn=978-93-81506-21-9 |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of Indian journalists]]
* [[List of Indian YouTubers]]
== References ==
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banerjee, Akash}}
[[Category:Indian YouTubers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian journalists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian satirists]]
[[Category:Indian political artists]]
[[Category:Indian parodists]]
[[Category:Commentary YouTubers]]
[[Category:YouTube channels launched in 2017]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Hindi-language YouTube channels]]
[[Category:1980 births]]

Akash Banerjee - Revision history

Pandit debotosh dey: put up new post initial version - done