Kathmandu: For many Nepali families, a single phone call from Santosh Deuja has meant the difference between lifelong despair and the hope of reunion.
Take the story of Nakul Adhikari from Tanahun. Working long, grueling 16-hour shifts in Austria, Nakul sent his hard-earned money back home to support his wife and two daughters. His faith in his family was so complete that he registered the house he built under his wife’s name.
But Nakul’s world turned upside down the day he received a devastating message while at work: “Your wife and two daughters in Nepal are missing.”
Rushing back home, he discovered that the house he built had been mortgaged to a bank without his knowledge, and the bank was demanding repayments. Overwhelmed, Nakul attempted suicide but was saved in time by neighbors and relatives.
With nowhere else to turn, Nakul reached out to Santosh Deuja, a social media influencer and media personality. Santosh traveled to Tanahun, documented Nakul’s story, and broadcast it on Kapurbot Channel. Within a week, a tip came in from India, leading Santosh and Nakul to Kerala, where Nakul’s family was found. With local police assistance, Nakul was reunited with his wife and daughters after 11 days, and he regained his property rights.
This is just one of nearly 200 cases where Santosh has helped reunite separated families across Nepal and beyond.
In another case, siblings Bishal and Roshni Tamang from Dhading had been separated from their mother, Shushila Tamang, for 18 years after she left for India to work and went missing. After their story aired, a lead emerged within a week, and Santosh took the siblings to Lamjung, where they reunited with their mother.
Similarly, Chhabimaya BK from Chitwan had not seen her son, Sher Bahadur BK, for 29 years. Living alone in a squatter settlement, she shared her story with Santosh, hoping her son might recognize her if he saw the video. A month after the video was aired, Santosh received a call from Sher Bahadur, leading to a long-awaited reunion between mother and son.
Born in Parsa, Santosh began his media career in radio journalism, working in Hetauda, Birgunj, Chitwan, and Bara for over a decade before starting Samarpan FM, where he served as General Manager. Eventually, he sold the station, choosing to return to field reporting with a camera and microphone to document the struggles of ordinary people.
While many view him as a YouTuber, Santosh prefers the term “new media journalist,” seeing YouTube as just one platform for impactful storytelling. At a time when digital content is often dominated by pranks and controversy, Santosh has chosen to highlight stories of reunions, injustice, and resilience.
“Nowadays, some people are sensationalizing family issues, filming inside bedrooms, or raiding hotels like the police. This is a serious blunder. Family privacy must be respected,” Santosh says.
Currently serving as the General Secretary of the Digital Media Association, Santosh believes that media runs on public trust. His phone rings over 500 times a day, most calls coming from families seeking help to find their missing loved ones.
“Ninety-five percent of cases never go on air,” he shares, noting that many sensitive family disputes are resolved through private calls rather than public exposure.
For Santosh, it is about more than creating content; it is about restoring hope and dignity to families torn apart by circumstances, proving that responsible storytelling can bring tangible change in society.
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