Wilbur Sargunaraj the unlikely hero, the singing and dancing sensation of YouTube.

He is India's first YouTube star; with his self-titled hits, Wilbur Sargunaraj has made uproarious waves in social media. What began as a mere experiment has led him to carve a niche in his trademark style, an amalgam of music, dance and drums and a dash of unadulterated humour, fetching him a cult status.

Type the words 'Chicken 65' and 'Love Marriage' on YouTube and you are automatically guided to Wilbur's numbers. With over seven lakh hits for his 'Love Marriage,' he is perhaps the first person to garner a huge fan following through the net.

"It was not necessarily an idea but more a passion for music, song, dance that spilled over to become something so many people started to like. I am not a comedian and never was. I just 'am' myself and people seem to enjoy the messages through the medium of social media", says Wilbur who is currently on a trip to various cities across the world for the launch of his album Simple Superstar. After dabbling at a few jobs in India, Wilbur took off to Canada five years ago to begin a career in music. It was always my dream to perform in style, he says.

His first experimental song 'Blog Song' became a runaway hit, in 2007. It took a while, however, for viewers to believe that Wilbur was a real person and not a viral product.

"I did what came naturally to me. I never set out to become popular or make videos so people would laugh. I never made these videos to get five minutes of fame. I wanted a long career in the industry. People said I was a viral product because of 'Love Marriage' but I hope they see after the India tour and all this press that I am serious about making a difference in this world through music", says the Tirunelveli native.

Wilbur's trademark is his quirky take on reality, be it his famous numbers or his videos like 'How to drive a bullock cart'. But, if anything has remained constant in his works, it is the rural setting of Tamil Nadu. "One thing that has influenced me is the rural part of Tamil Nadu. I want to show people that there is more to us than Bollywood. Welcome to Wilbur Wood! It is about making the common man extraordinary. Everything goes back to CQ (Cultural Intelligence). A person with a high CQ knows where he/she comes from, is proud of his/her roots and is connected to his/her culture but is equally excited to discover the 'other'. I really don't place a huge emphasis on my roots but place more emphasis on being a global citizen! In this way. all people are equally important to me and I don't view my roots as superior even though I am quite proud to be from India and Tamil Nadu. This is called iso-culturalism - an academic term used for putting others ahead of ourselves," he says.

Having ushered in a new wave of music called the Indo-world fusion, Wilbur presents a case study for media institutions in the country, much to his surprise.

"I didn't know that; I am glad people have accepted my style and welcomed me", he says.

Wilbur is engaged in a whole array of philanthropic projects, too, including charity for centres for the destitute and alleviation of slum-dwellers' conditions.

While he admits that his success might surprise many, especially because he has skilfully treaded the path less travelled, his focus is still the same: making the common man extraordinary.

He signs off on a philosophical note: never allow society to dictate your persona. "My message to the world is to focus on quality, not quantity. Don't let the society dictate who you should be or what you should do."