Did you know that Mr. Daniel Jain Raj, the AKA DAN JR Vlogs first YouTube video, An upload that took him 6 months to shoot and edit, had only 12 views the first day?
Yup, this is the story of how one man, despite his utterly pitiful start, became one of TamilNadu’s biggest YouTube food vlogging stars – and yes, it’s as fascinating and inspiring as it sounds,
For those who don’t know: Daniel Jain Raj is an IT professional by day & food/lifestyle vlogger with 1.53 million YouTube subscribers at night. Along with his brother, he goes around cities & chronicles the many cool eateries, cuisines, and flavors they have to offer.
Here’s everything you need to know about Dan JR Vlogs (in full detail) and how he became the YouTube sensation today;
Dan JR Vlogs – Quick Glance
| S.No | Paramaters | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Channel Name | Dan J R Vlogs |
| 2. | Type | Food/Lifestyle Vlogger |
| 3. | Owner | Mr. Daniel Jain Raj |
| 4. | Started year | 2016 |
| 5. | Place | Chennai, TamilNadu |
| 6. | Cameraman | Mr. Jibin |
| 7. | Members | 2 |
| 8. | Subscribers count | 1.53 Million |
| 9. | Total Views | 378,711,133 |
| 10. | Average Daily Views | 6 - 7 Lakh |
| 11. | Income | 3 - 4 Lakh INR ( Approximately) |
| 12. | Upload Frequency | 7 Videos/Week |
Dan JR Vlogs – A Brief Overview
Started in 2016, Dan JR Vlogs is run by Mr. Daniel Jain Raj – an IT Professional working out of Chennai. He is accompanied by his brother Mr. Jibin, who doubles as a cameraman and editor/manager. Together, their YouTube vlogs have over 1.53 million subscribers, translating to well over 378,711,133 views as of today.
Their channel is all about, food, lifestyle, travelogues, and did we mention food already? Yup, Daniel loves his food, especially tasty street foods! Almost 80% of his uploads are all about new & varied cuisines across Tamil Nadu (and beyond) he has experienced.
Daniel usually posts around 6-7 videos a week. Though the frequency had dwindled a bit during the quarantine season, he is now gone back to uploading in full force these last months.
Table of Contents
Channel Owner
The channel is owned and managed by Daniel Jain raj. He works on it with his brother Mr. Jibin and he shares the whole business with him.
Location
Almost all Dan Jr videos are mostly shot in & around Chennai. He also does a lot of travelogues visiting places all over India, and even internationally.
He has done vlogs from Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia, and more. He explores new places, cuisines, and loves introducing us to new cultures and world views.
Channel Income
Though the Dan JR team hasn’t officially revealed it, we estimate that he earns around 3 to 4 lakh a month from YouTube’s ad revenue and sponsorships. This is beside the income he earns from working as an IT professional by day.
Much of the income he earns gets reinvested into improving the production of his videos (new cameras, better lighting, audio, etc…) Daniel shares the rest with his brother, who handles the camera and post-production works.
Recently, Mr. Jibin too has started his own YouTube Channel dubbed “Dan Jr Cameraman” where he posts his own vlogs. It now has around 371k subscribers with 43,971,701 views.
Dan JR Vlogs: From IT to YouTube Superstar
Let’s start at the beginning: After completing his Btech & MBA, Daniel joined the IT field in 2011. He worked hard, life was good. in 2013, however, due to the lack of progress in his career, he decided to find a way to earn income from the side, and hence in 2016, inspired by foreign travel channels, he launched his own YouTube channel, dedicated to food and travel.
Unfortunately, his first video – a travelogue on Mahabalipuram – suffered a massive defeat despite his hard work and effort.
Disheartened, he put his YouTube dreams on the back burner and went back to his IT life.
Daniel becomes Dan JR Vlogs
During the next year, He had got married, and there was a baby on the way. In this crucial time of his life, trouble again brewed – he had to quit his job due to some issues.
It took about 3 full months before he got his next job. The time he was in limbo, however, was one of heavy depression & struggle. For starters, he had no income, EMI’s were mounting, and there was a baby on the way too. This reinvigorated his drive to find an alternative source of income. So, he went back to YouTube in his spare time, uploading more videos…
His first big break came in 2018. His video of his family celebrating Easter with a big “virundhu” (buffet) at home become a big hit, garnering over 4 lakh views within a month. With his confidence renewed, Daniel, with his brother’s help, continued posting new videos
Fast forward later, he has now over 1.16 million followers who tune into his channel every day to hear and see his personal takes on food and lifestyle.
What Makes Daniel JR Vlogs so Awesome?
Personally, we are huge fans of his presentation style. Funny, honest, and delivered with a smile on his face, it’s super easy to get hooked to his videos. His unique Chennai slang is super engaging and has its own fan base too. He also addresses his subscribers as a part of his family, addressing us as “brothers & sisters.” It’s so charming and cute!
Mr. Jibin, his cameraman, is also his brother. Daniel has a lot of love for him, which he expresses again and again with the many witty banters & quips they share in his videos. He also features his family often in his videos, giving them that personal touch.
Daniel is laser focussed on making his every new video unique & engaging, and he is willing to go to great lengths for it. From visiting eateries 3 in the mornings to tasting ultra spicy foods and going scuba diving, there is never a dull moment in his Vlogs
#1 His Videos are Honest and Real
One of the things that make Daniels vlogs so endearing is the sheer honesty and excitement he brings with each of his videos. He says everything like it is. If the food, the service, or a product is not good, he is not afraid to share it.
He is also very open when it comes to his life and work. For example, his YouTube channel has gotten hacked twice since he started it. Both times, he was very true and forthcoming to his subscribers, giving us regular updates on everything that happened – from the moment his channel got hacked to the minute he recovered it and everything in between…
This kind of sheer honesty & openness, which is rare to find with typical vloggers, is one of the many reasons why we love Dan Jr so much.
#2 His Love for Crackers is Legendary
It’s no secret that Daniel loves firecrackers. He has done a lot of videos on them, from doing cracker shop hauls to bursting them happily with family.
Here at food Zodiac, we are huge fans of the video series he had done last Diwali on Sivakasi – a place known as the “firecracker capital of India.” He covered not only the awesome. Eye-candy (and loud) firecrackers they make but also the life of the workers that makes them. He exposed their plight & their working conditions to his million+ subscribers.
For many of us, this was a real eye-opener as we learned how hard many are working to make us happy for a moment in life – and we thank Dan JR forever for it.
Dan JR Vlogs – Milestones and Biggest Hits
Starting with their breakout hit “Easter Veetu Virunthu”, Dan JR Vlogs have passed many awesome milestones in their journey to 1.16 million subscribers.
Due to their uncompromising performance and quality videos, it didn’t take them long to get the Silver play button, which YouTube gives to channels that reach 100,000 subscribers. Just three years after their inception.
For reasons only known to them, they haven’t yet applied (until now) for the Gold play button despite having well over 1 million subscribers on their channel. We hope that they will soon break this much-deserved milestone too…
Highest Viewed Videos
Nearly almost all Vlogs Dan Jr has uploaded enjoy 2+ million views. However, his most viral and popular video in his channel’s history has to be the “Sivakasi Pattasu!! Day crackers testing with sample sky shots” video blog he published last year. In 5 months, it has been watched by over a whopping 10 million viewers!
His second most viewed video is also a firecracker-related one. This vlog sees him testing out a massive 20000 cracker-sized “Maalai Padakkam” in Sivakasi. This video enjoys over 4.3 million views in its 5 month run.
Top 6 Reasons to Follow Dan JR Vlogs
As far as vlogs go, YouTube has tones of them. Some are cooler than others. So this begs the question: why should YOU watch Dan JR Vlogs? What makes his content better than others?
Well, it might be because of these reasons;
Exciting Presentation
He genuinely loves his vlogging job. You can see how he is full of smiles when he is in front of the camera, and it’s infectious AF. The quippy banter he has with his brother/cameraman is also super fun to watch.
Interesting Dialect
Fully brought up in Chennai, Daniel has that unmistakable “Madras-dialect” style to his presentation. It’s peppy and super soothing g to hear. If you are from Chennai, you’ll feel right at home with his anchoring.
Goes the Extra Mile
if it means better content for the viewers, Daniel is always ready to try on new things and likes to walk the less beaten paths.
Simple & Honest Takes
No matter what food he tries on his vlog, he makes it a point to give his honest feedback, be it positive or negative. His talking points are simple, to the point, and yet can be surprisingly in-depth at times.
Daniel also Cooks!
Yes, Daniel is also a pretty good cook and often features his kitchen exploits on his vlogs. They are super fun to watch. Give it a try.
In-depth Travelogues
when he does trip videos on his channel, he makes sure to keep it as detailed as possible, with a focus on budget & max enjoyment. If you are planning a trip, His videos can be a treasure trove of quality information.
Dan JR Vlogs – Nobody Else Does it Better!
More than his heaven of a YouTube channel for food, love, and everything else nice, it’s the life of Daniel that really has inspired us.
You see, living your passion for food is one thing, but filming yourself doing it daily/weekly for a binge-watching audience? Well, that takes a whole other level of commitment, especially while still juggling a pressure-heavy job in the IT field.
But Daniel Jain Raj aka Dan JR makes it somehow happen – and yes, the world (and our tummies) is all the better for it!
We wish him all the best going forward. Crack on Dan JR…