Dhruv Rathee

Rathee was born into a Hindu Jat family in the Indian state of Haryana. He received his primary education in Haryana before pursuing higher education in Germany. Rathee earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from esteemed Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, followed by a master's degree in renewable energy from the same institution.[3][4]

In 2014, Rathee debuted a video on his channel titled "BJP Exposed: Lies Behind The Bullshit". This video specifically targeted the democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that had come into power earlier that year. In 2016, Rathee gained online prominence after "debunking" Ajay Sehrawat's claims regarding the allegedly "ineffective" administration of Arvind Kejriwal. Rathee felt a sense of responsibility to present verifiable research to counter the dissemination of unverified claims through Sehrawat's videos.[5] Rathee's political analysis is notable for its coverage of national issues, as well as its scrutiny of misleading information propagated under the guise of Hindutva politics. Rathee is an outspoken critic of the fake news that circulates in the political arena, and his efforts to expose its falsity through rigorous research has earned him a dedicated following on social media platforms.[6][7]

Rathee has addressed various topics in his videos, including the 2016 Uri attack, 2016 Indian Line of Control strike, 2016 Indian banknote demonetisation and Gurmehar Kaur row. Alongside his serious content, Rathee launched Pee News, a satirical "fake news" segment. Furthermore, Rathee established a series titled The Dhruv Rathee Show on his YouTube channel, which featured critical commentary on the Indian government. Although this series is no longer in production, discontinued after its last episode on 9 October 2018, it was a significant platform for Rathee to express his views on a wide range of political issues.[5] [8] Additionally, from 2017 until early 2020, Rathee wrote opinion columns for ThePrint, a prominent Indian digital media publication. These columns provided Rathee with another outlet to express his political perspectives on current events and policies in India.[9]

In July of 2020, Rathee began another YouTube channel called Dhruv Rathee Vlogs, where he shares his international travel vlogs. In addition to his travel vlogs, Rathee hosts various shows, including DW Travel of Deutsche Welle[10] and Decode with Dhruv of Netflix India.[11] He also hosts a Spotify-exclusive podcast called Maha Bharat with Dhruv Rathee.[12] Rathee has been vocal about his criticism of the democratically elected government of India, often making comparisons to the authoritarian rule of Hitler. His commentary on the government and politics of India has garnered both support and opposition from a wide range of individuals and groups.[13][14] In 2020, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut had a public dispute with the BMC over the demolition of an alleged illegal construction. Rathee, released a video discussing the controversy and criticizing Ranaut's statements. In response, Ranaut threatened legal action against Rathee for "lying about BMC notice for my house." Some saw Ranaut's statement as an attempt to silence critics, while others defended her position, arguing that false statements could have harmful consequences for public figures like Ranaut.[15]

As of February 2022, Dhruv Rathee began a shorts channel to share 60-second fact videos. This channel offers a quick and accessible way for viewers to engage with the information Rathee presents.[16] In September 2022, he faced controversy when a video he posted about the political crisis in Pakistan was blocked by India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The video contained a distorted map of India, in which parts of Kashmir were depicted as part of Pakistan or "disputed." This is considered a punishable offense under Indian law. What drew attention to the incident was the fact that Rathee had prior knowledge of the block.[17]

In early 2023, Rathee initiated a new series called Jobs Zara Hatke. This series aims to raise awareness about less popular job options in India and abroad, with a focus on unconventional and non-traditional career paths. By highlighting these opportunities, Rathee seeks to empower viewers with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their career options.[18]

Rathee is a resident of Germany and is known for his frequent international travel. In November 2021, Rathee married his long-time girlfriend Juli Lbr at the historic Belvedere Palace, in Vienna, Austria.[19]

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dhruv Rathee.

• Ravish Kumar Interviews Dhruv Rathee on NDTV Prime Time