Jharkhand's shirtless 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's 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.

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.

This article is for informational purposes only.