Ranchi: He is an engineer by profession and a comedian by passion.

Harshdeep Ahuja, 26, who makes hilarious videos and has a whopping 185K subscribers on YouTube, built an instant rapport with the audience at his maiden TEDx talk here on Sunday when he said Ranchi was far from being "dry" contrary to what his friends had told him.

"Comedy always attracted me," Harshdeep told this reporter on the sidelines of the event when asked how he developed a knack for making such videos.

He used to entertain his friends with his funny remarks at school and they, in turn, used to inspire him.

So he continued entertaining people comic performances while pursuing an engineering course from Indraprastha University, Delhi.

"Once while I was recuperating from jaundice, I recorded some funny videos with my mobile phone and thought of uploading those clips on social media sites to help people forget their stress for a while," he said.

He began with uploading videos on Facebook and moving on to platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, where he has over 7 lakh followers.

"Earlier, I used to conceive the ideas, handle the camera, act and edit all by myself, but now a friend helps me."

His topics range from an argument between a father and son over poor academic performance, to Aadhaar linking and the goings-on in the "Silly-con valley".

He said he would consider doing TV serials and films like Jaspal Bhatti if a suitable offer came his way.

On how much he makes from YouTube, Harshdeep said, "It's a myth that one earns a lot from YouTube. I get rewards of a different kind like when a cancer patient mailed me saying my videos helped him laugh on his deathbed."