Jharkhand farmer Nishant Kerketta breaks internet with curated model-like outfits: Even Bhumi Pednekar and Shibani Dandekar are fans

Nishant Kerketta, a farmer from Jharkhand, has captivated social media – blending rural life with modern fashion, and earning the label 'aura farmer' from fans.

He farms rice? He farms aura? Looks like the internet is obsessed with Nishant Kerketta, a farmer and fashion content creator from Jharkhand. He has taken social media by storm — not with a transition reel or a trending audio, but with a paddy field, and a wardrobe that has even Bollywood celebs doing a double-take.

Actors Bhumi Pednekar and Shibani Dandekar are now fans. On his latest video, shared on October 5, Bhumi wrote, “Kya baat hai (Impressive).” Shibani commented, “Loving the style.” Actor Anusha Dandekar added, “Style check.” And thousands of others? They’ve crowned him 'aura farmer'.

His new video is disarmingly simple but it works

Nishant is a 24-year-old from Agharma village in the Simdega district of Jharkhand. His latest Instagram Reels, titled, 'Indian farmer starting fashion', opens under a heavy sky in rural Jharkhand. He walks barefoot toward the camera through the muddy field, carrying a woven basket for scattering seeds. He is shirtless, wearing only grey shorts. His lean build is what first catches your attention — chiselled chest, defined abs and strong shoulders built from years of working the land.

He flicks a handful of seedlings into the field, glances away like a model, then keeps walking. As he gets closer to the lens, he gives a small, confident thumbs-up. It is his quiet confidence that stays with you. He isn’t performing as a farmer for fashion. He is fashionable while being a farmer.

A feed that looks more like a model’s portfolio

Nishant’s profile does not look like a typical farmer’s page. At first glance, it looks like the curated portfolio of a menswear model. The setting is consistent — a mud house with peeling paint and a tiled roof, a courtyard, a large tree, a riverbank, a highway. But the man in front of it transforms with editorial precision. One moment, he is shirtless in the field. Next, he is in front of the same house in a crisp, oversized shirt, tucked into wide-leg pleated trousers.

The styling language is consistent and current. The palette is muted — whites, black, charcoal, grey, faded denim — punctuated by occasional bold red shirts or pink floral shirts. The silhouette is almost always oversized and fluid: wide-leg trousers, long coats. The poses are repeated like a lookbook: full-body, hands in pockets, side profile, back to the camera.

Why is the internet calling him 'aura farmer’?

Alongside the celebrity comments, social media users were the ones who coined his new identity. “Wait, you’re an aura farmer,” one wrote in the comments section on his latest video. Another added: “Bro farms aura and rice.” Others were more smitten: “I came to like your post and accidentally developed a crush.” And there was admiration for the fitness behind the style: “This guy would cook and eat at Hyrox, he does all those movements literally every day and still brings the swag!” Someone also asked: “Where do you get these cool outfits?”

It is a telling question: it reveals how much the internet still expects style to be urban, expensive, and imported. Nishant flips that. He does not leave his village to look fashionable. He does not hide his work. He is not dressing up as a farmer. He is a farmer who dresses exceptionally well — and in doing so, he is quietly rewriting what a young Indian farmer can look like.

In conversation with Nishant Kerketta

After seeing the widespread reaction on social media, we reached out to Nishant on Instagram to learn more about his background, his family, and what sparked his passion for fashion. He belongs to a family of six, including his parents and four elder siblings, with Nishant being the youngest. The family relies primarily on farming, cultivating crops such as rice, ragi, urad, and various seasonal vegetables. His siblings currently reside in Ranchi to pursue higher education and job opportunities.

Life brought unforeseen challenges when his father — who previously repaired bicycles alongside farming to support the family—suffered a brain haemorrhage that left one side of his body paralysed. His mother, a former private school teacher, is now retired. Though Nishant had hoped to move to a city to secure a job, family responsibilities meant staying home to help tend the farm while continuing his graduation.

Since childhood, Nishant has held a deep interest in creative pursuits, enjoying dancing, football, running, volleyball, and photography. He originally dreamed of becoming a wildlife photographer. To fund a camera and a professional photography course, he spent two years working in housekeeping in Goa. Later, he opened a small grocery shop in Ranchi with his cousin to build a financial cushion. However, family circumstances forced him to pause those plans and return home to Agharma.

His pivot into fashion content was spontaneous. While cleaning his room one day, he noticed the wardrobe he had built over time with his hard-earned savings and thought, "Why not make some videos with these clothes?" That simple impulse sparked the fashion reels now sweeping the internet.

Reflecting on the response, Nishant shared that coming from a village where social media usage is low, he never anticipated this level of love or appreciation. Expressing his gratitude to his supporters, his family, and his home state of Jharkhand, he shared that if given an opportunity in the fashion industry, he would love to take it, adding, "I truly hope that someday everything will get better."

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

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