Yeshi Lhendup
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Yeshi Lhendup (born 1992) is a Bhutanese filmmaker, music video director, and content creator who founded Yeshi Lhendup Films. In 2021, his YouTube channel became the first Bhutanese channel to receive YouTube's Silver Creator Award after surpassing 100,000 subscribers, and it has since grown to become Bhutan's most-subscribed entertainment channel.
Yeshi Lhendup (born 13 June 1992) is a Bhutanese filmmaker, music video director, and content creator based in Thimphu, Bhutan. He founded Yeshi Lhendup Films, an audiovisual production house specialising in music videos, short films, and commercial advertisements. In May 2021, his YouTube channel became the first Bhutanese channel to receive YouTube's Silver Creator Award (Silver Play Button) after surpassing 100,000 subscribers — a milestone that marked a significant moment for Bhutanese digital content creation.[1][2]
Early Life and Education
Lhendup graduated from Sherubtse College in 2015 with no formal background in filmmaking, editing, or photography. It was during his final year at college that he began creating films and short videos, encouraged by friends who recognised his natural talent for visual storytelling. After graduation, he worked at a private audiovisual company to gain practical experience, despite pressure from his family to sit the civil service examination and pursue a government career.[3]
Career
Lhendup's early career was marked by the challenge of convincing clients and audiences of his capabilities as a self-taught filmmaker. With a loan from the Loden Foundation, a Bhutanese organisation supporting entrepreneurship, he purchased his own filming equipment and began accepting commissions. In 2017, he released his first official music video, establishing the production model that would define Yeshi Lhendup Films: high-quality cinematography applied to Bhutanese popular music, often featuring young and emerging artists who might otherwise lack access to professional production.[4]
In 2019, with a combination of government support and personal loans, Lhendup launched Yeshi Lhendup Films as a full-time venture. The production house quickly became the country's most-viewed entertainment account, producing music videos, short films, and advertisements that raised the standard of visual production in Bhutan. By the time of his Silver Creator Award in 2021, the channel had produced over 80 videos and was widely recognised for introducing Bhutanese audiences to a more cinematic approach to music video production.[5][6]
YouTube Milestones
Reaching 100,000 subscribers was a landmark achievement in the context of Bhutanese digital media, given the country's population of approximately 780,000. Lhendup noted that a particular challenge for Bhutanese content creators is that domestic audiences tend to watch videos without subscribing, making subscriber growth disproportionately difficult compared to view counts. By 2024, the channel had crossed 300,000 subscribers, making it the most-subscribed Bhutanese YouTube channel in any category.[7][8]
Recognition
In addition to the Silver Creator Award, Yeshi Lhendup Films received the Impactful Social Media User of the Year 2025 award from the Journalists Association of Bhutan, recognising the channel's influence on Bhutanese media culture and its role in professionalising content creation in the country. Lhendup has expressed a desire to direct a feature film, viewing himself as an example of how passion and risk-taking can lead to professional success outside traditional career paths in Bhutan.[9][10]
Significance
Lhendup's success has inspired a growing community of Bhutanese content creators. His production house's mission — to bring a refreshing change to Bhutan's visual and musical landscape by enhancing the quality of storytelling and connecting artists with audiences — reflects a broader shift in Bhutanese media culture toward digital platforms. Alongside creators such as Pinda Rika Dorji, he represents the first generation of Bhutanese to build professional careers through online content creation.
References
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films receives the Silver Creator Award or Play Button from YouTube." BBS, 7 May 2021.
- "About Us." Yeshi Lhendup Films.
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films — Making a living doing what he loves." BBS.
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films — Making a living doing what he loves." BBS.
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films receives the Silver Creator Award." BBS.
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films as one of the much-sought out film making brand." Discover Bhutanese.
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films receives the Silver Creator Award." BBS.
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films need less than 6000 subscribers to hit 100,000." Nidup Jamtsho, February 2021.
- "About Us." Yeshi Lhendup Films.
- "Yeshi Lhendup Films — Making a living doing what he loves." BBS.
See also
Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck
Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck (born 11 May 1963) is a Queen Mother (Gyalyum) of Bhutan and the fourth and youngest of the four queens of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She is the founder and president of RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women), a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and established the Bhutan Textile Museum.
people·5 min readAshi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (born 10 June 1955) is a Queen Mother of Bhutan and the first wife of the fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She is an acclaimed author, philanthropist, and the founding president of the Tarayana Foundation, which has transformed the lives of more than 300,000 rural Bhutanese.
people·5 min readThuksey Rinpoche
Thuksey Rinpoche (meaning "precious heart son") is a reincarnate-lama title of the Drukpa Kagyu, the Buddhist school that has been Bhutan's state religion since the 17th century. The first Thuksey Rinpoche, Ngawang Gyurme Palzang (1916–1983), was a leading Drukpa master who fled Tibet in 1959 and founded a monastery in Darjeeling. His present reincarnation, Jigmet Shedup Tenzin (born 1986), was recognised in 1987 and studied for nine years at Tango in Bhutan.
people·3 min readNawang Norbu
Nawang Norbu, PhD, is a Bhutanese ecologist and conservationist who is the founder and executive director of the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES). He also serves as Centre Director of the SFS Centre for Climate and Sustainable Futures, a collaborative initiative between the School for Field Studies, the Royal University of Bhutan, and the BES. His work spans biodiversity conservation, food systems transformation, and climate change adaptation.
people·4 min readJigme Namgyal
Jigme Namgyal (c. 1825–1881) was the 52nd Druk Desi and Penlop of Trongsa, known as "the Black Regent" for his dark complexion and fierce temperament. The father of Ugyen Wangchuck — the first King of Bhutan — Jigme Namgyal is considered the pivotal figure who unified central and eastern Bhutan through military campaigns and political alliances, laying the foundations for the establishment of the Wangchuck monarchy in 1907.
people·6 min readJigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (born 1980) is the fifth and current Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of Bhutan, having ascended the throne in 2006 following the voluntary abdication of his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Oxford-educated and widely known as the "People's King," he oversaw Bhutan's transition to a constitutional monarchy and has been credited with strengthening democratic institutions, promoting environmental conservation, and leading an effective COVID-19 response. His reign has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and the Bhutanese diaspora for not addressing the unresolved refugee crisis.
people·6 min read
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