Content creator Apoorva Mukhija, popularly known as The Rebel Kid, is stepping away from the familiar world of Mumbai’s influencer ecosystem and starting a new chapter in New York.
Mukhija revealed on AminJaz’s Untriggered podcast that she had moved to New York to pursue an MBA, despite having what she described as a comfortable life and a successful career in India.
The decision comes after years of building a large online following, securing brand deals and appearing on reality shows including The Traitors and Lock Upp. It also follows a period marked by controversies, online backlash and what Mukhija described as repeated cycles of being “cancelled” and making a comeback.
Why did Apoorva Mukhija move to New York?
For Mukhija, the move was about more than education. She said she wanted to experience New York and, more importantly, step outside the relatively small social and professional circle she had built around content creation.
“I have everything here. I have great friends. I have a great house. I have a full-time house help. My career is going great,” she said while explaining why leaving Mumbai was still a difficult decision.
Her new reality is dramatically different. Instead of her established lifestyle in Mumbai, Mukhija is now living in a Manhattan dorm and returning to life as a student.
She said she had applied to only one college because she specifically wanted to live in New York.
‘I wanted to get out of the creator ecosystem’
Mukhija said that most of the people around her in Mumbai were connected to the same industry. Moving abroad, therefore, offered an opportunity to meet people from completely different backgrounds.
The MBA, she suggested, could help her build an identity beyond being a social media creator.
The decision also reflects her changing relationship with content creation. Mukhija said she does not always feel the urge to document everything anymore, particularly while travelling.
At times, she would find herself recording content simply because a brand deliverable was pending or her manager reminded her that she had not posted organic content recently.
‘Cancellation is when the money stops’
The creator also opened up about the financial impact of online controversies.
Mukhija said that when she faced backlash, the biggest consequence was often not the criticism itself but the uncertainty around brand campaigns.
“When you get cancelled for a few weeks, days, you stop getting brand deals,” she said.
She explained that brands could temporarily hold campaigns while waiting for a controversy to settle. According to Mukhija, even relatively small incidents could result in advertisers delaying sponsored posts.
“Cancellation is when the money stops,” she said.
She later clarified that brands did continue to work with her, but some would wait roughly 10 days before deciding whether to release sponsored content after a backlash.
Reality TV changed her perspective
Mukhija’s experiences on reality television also appear to have influenced her decision to explore life away from constant public attention.
She described The Traitors as comparatively less restrictive because contestants had some private time away from the cameras, although they did not have access to their phones.
Her experience on Lock Upp, however, left a deeper impression.
Mukhija recalled being surrounded by cameras even while sleeping and said the experience made her question whether she wanted to continue living under such constant observation.
“When I was in lock-up, I was like, this is not how I want to live my life,” she said.
While on the show, she said she repeatedly thought about going to New York and discovering “what else is there in the world to do except for this.”
A new chapter beyond social media
Mukhija’s move comes at a time when influencer careers are increasingly expanding into businesses, entertainment and other professional fields. For her, however, the next step appears to be about discovering an identity outside the creator economy.
From brand campaigns and viral controversies to reality television and now an MBA in New York, Mukhija’s career is entering a distinctly different phase.
For now, The Rebel Kid is trading the creator bubble for a Manhattan classroom, with the promise of discovering what life might look like beyond the internet.
