Pakman is a gaming influencer on the rise who practically gave up on his desires of content material creation regardless of streaming each single day for 4 years. Now boasting over 1 million followers on TikTok, he spoke with us about his journey to stardom and his objectives for the longer term as a part of Dexerto’s Rising Stars interview collection.
Taha ‘Pakman’ Khokhar grew up in Canada, however now lives in Dubai with objectives to turn out to be the “face of gaming” within the area. Whereas he’s having fun with the fruits of his success now, his standing as a budding gaming star follows years of onerous work.
Pakman informed us that he at all times beloved taking part in video video games and watching content material creators as a baby, particularly idolizing the parents over at Machinima. Little did he know that, as an grownup, he’d find yourself working with that very same firm — and it’s all because of a particular buy from his father.
“I’ve at all times performed video games all my life, from Sonic to Mario to Crash Bandicoot rising up,” he defined. “And round 2009, I used to play numerous Name of Responsibility. My dad purchased me a Dazzle, which is a kind of previous PVRs to start out recording stuff. And proper at that second I used to be like, ‘You realize what? I’m going to start out making content material.’
“I began making content material on Name of Responsibility Trendy Warfare 2. I simply fell in love with it, making movies. Although they weren’t actually getting any views, it was enjoyable. It made me really feel like my favourite YouTubers, which on the time had been all of the Machinima guys.”
Within the early 2010s, Pakman elevated his content material from primary gameplay and commentary movies to issues like ‘Prime 5 Performs’ lists — and that was when he obtained approached by Machinima. Nevertheless, he was pressured to step again from the web for quite a lot of years because of private causes, however he continued to play video games.
Pakman streamed day-after-day for 4 years straight
Through the international well being disaster in 2020, Pakman determined that he would return to creating gaming content material… however though his dad and mom supported him, their old style views clashed together with his dream.
“Over the past 4 and a half years is the place I began saying, ‘I’m going to start out specializing in content material and I’m going to make this work.’ And, nobody actually believed in me, apart from my household. And even then, it was just a little bit powerful. Initially, I needed to depart my home as a result of an ultimatum was given to me, which was, ‘So long as you’re below our roof, discover work or get out,’” he informed us.
“It wasn’t out of hate or something. It was simply that my dad and mom grew up in a unique period. They didn’t perceive you can earn money taking part in video video games on-line. So, I left the home two days later and continued chasing my dream.”
Pakman took their ultimatum critically and buckled down, dedicating himself 100% to his purpose. From November 2020 to April 2021, he streamed each single day, took on-line courses for a cyber safety diploma 5 days every week, and labored six days every week at a automobile dealership. His busy schedule meant that he was sacrificing his well being, admitting that he was operating on “three hours of sleep an evening for six months.”
“It was tough, to say the least,” he laughed. “However it additionally brought about numerous good issues to occur, the place my work ethic was being seen by folks.”
How one video modified Pakman’s life perpetually
His onerous work paid off big-time. After six months of this nonstop grind, Pakman was capable of transition to being a full-time content material creator after getting laid off at his job as a result of pandemic. He’s been pursuing this as his most important profession for the previous 4 years, a lot of which noticed him stream each single day.
This may seem to be a mammoth endeavor to most, however Pakman says he loves making content material a lot that he by no means actually had days the place he dreaded going reside. Nevertheless, there was some extent when he thought-about quitting this path after hitting a plateau.
“Within the early days earlier than I went fulltime, about 5 months in, there was some extent the place I used to be achieved. I used to be burnt out, not getting sufficient sleep, not getting something achieved. It simply didn’t seem to be something was going anyplace. That evening I used to be like, ‘You realize what? f*** it. One final purpose. Let me simply put my coronary heart and soul into this video.’
“I spent no time sleeping that evening, just about. I took my time with the video. I posted the video. I slept. And actually an hour later, I woke as much as notification after notification. And that was the video that began blowing up.”
Pakman turns into Dubai Police’s first-ever gaming ambassador
The video that skyrocketed him to fame as ‘Pakman’ was a ‘message to the haters,’ the place he addressed the adverse feedback he acquired on-line. Since then, he’s reached 25,000 subscribers on YouTube, 1.4 million followers on TikTok and 67,000 followers on Twitch, the place he streams a wide range of taking pictures video games like Counter-Strike and Name of Responsibility.
His final purpose is to turn out to be the “face of gaming” within the Center East — however he additionally needs to assist his household, which incorporates spoiling his father.
“A variety of it needed to do with simply being motivated to the purpose the place I wished to do that not just for myself, however for my spouse, my dad and mom, my siblings. I wished to present them a great life. That was my largest purpose and it has at all times been, and it nonetheless is,” he informed us.
“I wish to be at some extent the place I can retire my dad. He’s taking good care of us all our life, giving us all the pieces we wish. I need to have the ability to try this for him. you by no means know when that point goes to return the place he may not be round. I need to have the ability to be at some extent the place I can provide him all the pieces he needs.”
Since then, Pakman has turn out to be the primary gaming ambassador for the Dubai Police, the place he helps elevate gaming tradition within the nation by supporting their sponsored esports tournaments, which embrace video games like Road Fighter 6, Fortnite, Counter-Strike and extra.
He additionally starred within the Canadian model of actuality TV present ‘The Traitors,’ and hopes to land extra spots in each scripted and unscripted tv collection sooner or later. As a content material creator on the rise, he firmly believes that arduous work and dedication is the recipe for fulfillment — one thing he echoed in an announcement to different up-and-comers seeking to make a reputation for themselves.
“Be true to your self,” he suggested. “Don’t placed on a charade, a personality of who you wish to be on-line, ’trigger you possibly can’t at all times hold that up. Be your self. So if somebody runs into you, even on a nasty day, you’re your self.
“Follow it. Don’t let the hate get to you. Don’t let all of the dangerous negativity get to you, as a result of on the finish of the day, nobody else can cease you from reaching what you need. The one problem between reaching it’s you, your self.”
