Exclusive: "Best Audience Ever!" Nischay Malhan on His National Creators Award Win

Imagine working hard non-stop for more than 10 years, finally being recognized in a field often perceived negatively – that's the story of Nischay Malhan's recent National Creators Award win in the gaming category. Winning an award from the Prime Minister of your country is a truly special moment. We reached out to Nischay, and despite his online persona (Nischay, popularly known by his online alias Triggered Insaan), trust us, he is quite the opposite of 'Triggered.' You could feel his genuine happiness, pride, and gratitude for his fans in his voice.

In this exclusive conversation with WhosThat360, Nischay opens up about his win, his family's reaction, and a heartfelt message for his fans. 

Congratulations on your win! What was the feeling like receiving the first National Creator award, especially from the Prime Minister?

Thank you so much. And what was the feeling? I would say it was very surreal. Firstly, I was very nervous at that moment because there were around, I think, 20 or 30k people sitting in that hall, and I was standing there in front of the Prime Minister of the country. So, I was very nervous, and it was a very surreal and unbelievable feeling. And getting the award from the Prime Minister was like, 'How is this happening? What is happening?' It was such a feeling.

Has the feeling sunk in yet? What was the reaction of your family and friends?

Has that feeling sunk in yet? I don't think it ever will. The outpouring of support from my family, friends, and online community has been incredible. All the congratulatory messages and love have made me feel so blessed. My mom (Dimple Malhan) got emotional, and my dad (Vinay Malhan) was so proud. My brother (Abhishek Malhan), sister (Prerna Malhan), and brother-in-law (Harsh Gupta) were all so happy for me. Even distant relatives reached out to celebrate, and everyone watched it on TV. It was an amazing feeling.

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A post shared by Nischay Malhan (@triggeredinsaan)

What was going on in your mind when you walked towards the stage to receive the award? That moment must have been special.

I would say it was the biggest achievement of my life. What can be more than this? That I am getting an award from the Prime Minister. What can be more than a national award? I don't think anything can be more than this.

And what was going on in my mind? I just hoped he wouldn't ask me a question that would make me feel like, 'What should I say about this?' Because Modiji was there, interacting with everyone and asking some questions. So, I was even wondering what questions he would ask me. Even on my phone, if you see, I was writing down key points that if he asks me something like this, I will answer this. But luckily, he didn't ask me such a question. (Laughs)

What message do you have for all your fans who voted for you?

I have literally the best audience in the entire internet system. I have to say that. I mean, they're such a sweet audience. I announced once on my Insta story that I had been nominated, and if you wanted to vote for me, you could. You could also vote for any of your favourites as well. All of them are my friends who have also been nominated. After that, they voted themselves only. Not only did they vote for me, but they also organized Twitter spaces, created trends on social media, and shared posts urging others to vote for me. Their efforts garnered so many votes that I won! Immediately after the event, I went live on Instagram to thank them all. I bowed to my audience because I felt so grateful. I told them, 'This is your award.' And while it's not possible, if it were, I would have sent that award to everyone, keeping a small part of it. But no. This award is special. So, we won't do anything with it. (Laughs) But I just want to say that I love them all. Seriously, wherever I am, it is because of them only.

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A post shared by Nischay Malhan (@triggeredinsaan)

How do you view these awards from the government for the creator ecosystem? 

I think the government is finally realizing that the creator ecosystem is a legit thing. Recognizing them through these awards is a huge deal, especially in the gaming category. People always see gaming in a negative sense – they see kids getting lazy, wasting time, and all. But now, they're finally recognizing that no, this is something in which a career can be made. It's not a waste of time, and it doesn't make you lazy. Kids learn a lot of things through this! There are puzzle-solving games that develop analytical thinking and cognitive behaviour. You learn to think well and persevere. You have to play with teammates, even random people, which helps develop teamwork and social skills. So games are very beneficial – it's just about perspective. Someone who wants to find a negative impact can do that with anything – movies, hobbies, whatever. But the positives of gaming will always outweigh the negatives.

Tell us more about your experience at the event and your interaction with the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi?

After reaching the assembly hall where it happened, everything was very well organized, including security checks. This was the first event where I attended with Mr. Modi, so it was new for me to see how thorough the security checks were.

Finally meeting Mr. Modi ji, talking to him, shaking hands with him, and receiving an award from him felt like a significant achievement in my life. The Prime Minister, the highest authority in the country, standing in front of me, acknowledging my work over the past 10 years—it was surreal. It felt like a stamp of approval for all the effort I've put in since I started in 2013. It was a rewarding moment that made me feel like I've accomplished everything in my life. So, yeah, it was a very surreal feeling.

Congratulations to Nischay Malhan and his fans on the big win!