At first glance, he was just another engineer-turned-banker from a modest background, shuffling between jobs in finance and trying his hand at a startup. But as Shantanu Deshpande, founder of Bombay Shaving Company and his longtime friend, observed, over the last six months Anuj, the Nagpur boy who once entertained his hostel mates with spot-on impressions of professors has transformed into one of India’s most-watched content creators and arguably the country’s most relatable financial advisor.
The 36-year-old founder of MyFundBox, a boutique financial advisory he launched in 2022, has amassed more than 600,000 followers and racked up over 200 million views on Instagram and YouTube through a surprising combination: his authentic persona, his adorable young son Adwik, and a knack for making money matters simple.
The Spark: A Father-Son Morning Ritual
It began, innocuously enough, on January 17 this year. Anuj and his son started documenting their morning gym sessions. In each video, Adwik, curious, witty, and effortlessly charming, would lift tiny weights or banter with his father, while Anuj patiently guided him.
What set their videos apart wasn’t production quality or gimmicks, but the disarming chemistry between the two. The internet took notice. A few videos crossed a million views overnight. Comments flooded in. Followers ballooned.
Then came the second act.
In April, Anuj decided to use his expertise in finance to explain savings, investments, and money basics to his son, on camera. The segment, which they titled Finance Paulified, showed Anuj teaching Adwik concepts like SIPs, compounding, and mutual funds using toys, chocolates, and playground analogies.
The format struck a nerve. Millions shared and saved the videos, praising them for cutting through the jargon and presenting finance in a way anyone, not just a child could understand.
Building a Business Without Losing Himself: Shantanu Deshpande Narrates
For Anuj, the viral success wasn’t a strategic pivot but an outgrowth of who he already was: a trusted counselor and devoted father. Well before the reels, he had a reputation among friends and clients as the guy who could break down complex financial instruments in simple terms, without talking down to anyone.
“MyFundBox was already growing, but slowly,” says a former colleague who has watched Anuj’s journey since their engineering days at VNIT Nagpur. “It was the old-school way, client by client, referral by referral. What happened in the last six months supercharged all that.”
Indeed, MyFundBox’s inquiries have skyrocketed. According to people close to the business, the firm now receives thousands of leads daily, and Anuj is scrambling to scale up operations without compromising on service quality.
Brands and Audiences Alike
What’s even more remarkable is how well their content performs commercially. Brands have lined up to collaborate, and according to sources familiar with his business, even sponsored posts outperform organic ones, a rare feat in influencer marketing.
“People can sense authenticity,” said a Mumbai-based brand strategist who has worked with the duo. “You can’t fake what they have. The dad is really like that, the kid is really like that, and viewers feel it.”
No Acting, Just Storytelling
Anuj’s rise is also a reminder of how India’s creator economy is evolving. Gone are the days when slick, overproduced content ruled. Today, audiences seem to crave honesty and relatability.
Those who know Anuj personally say this was always his strength. At VNIT Nagpur, he stood out not just for his height and tomato-red cheeks but also for his mimicry, able to defuse tense situations in hostel rooms with a perfect impersonation of a professor or batchmate.
That same unpretentious humor and warmth now radiate through his reels. Even his earliest performances, like the infamous “Chumma De De” song at college parties, seem to have foreshadowed his ability to hold a crowd.
Making Finance Accessible To Millions
With their follower base still climbing and brand deals pouring in, Anuj and Adwik have proven that it’s possible to build a business and a massive audience without sacrificing integrity.
More than that, they’ve shown how one can turn something deeply personal, a father’s trust in his son and in himself, into something universal.
For many in India, finance remains intimidating and opaque. For Anuj, making it accessible to millions came as naturally as playing with his child.
And for those who’ve known him since the ragging-filled corridors of VNIT, his success isn’t just impressive, it’s heartwarming.
“Some sparks never go out,” said one of his college friends. “You just have to give them oxygen.”
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