Devudu, or God, is a word that comes up often when Harsha Sai‘s fans talk about him. The Indian YouTuber’s videos of stunt philanthropy, turning acts of charity and kindness into spectacles that garner millions of views and ad revenue, have earned him a loyal fanbase across southern India. One of his most popular videos showed him turning a poor barber into a ‘millionaire’. In a more recent video, he very dramatically ate a grain of rice at a roadside eatery, before gifting a thick wad of notes to the woman who ran the place.

For Rest of World, Nilesh Christopher and I followed him on a warm February morning as he orchestrated (and filmed) a surprise gift of 22 buffaloes and about 17 calves for his video titled “I made a poor milkman into a millionaire.” The family, whose son suffers from a rare medical condition, was scammed by someone claiming to be from Sai’s team and upon learning about it from a YouTube news video, Sai set out to help the family.

Tens of Sai’s followers lined up along the street leading to the family’s home in Kothapet outside Hyderabad, as they waited for Sai to arrive with the family and surprise them. Seeing how I could get close to him, some from the neighbouring village kept requesting me to convince Sai to visit their village fair that day. A father with two children was one of the many people who waited for a chance to meet Sai and request help. And when they discovered they were now the owners of several Murrah buffaloes, the couple collapsed in tears at Sai’s feet.

Sai is estimated to have spent over USD 60k on this video alone. As he gains more followers and influence, questions are being raised about his wealth and intentions. Read the article here.