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Karl Rock is a New Zealander (Kiwi) YouTube vlogger and author. He got married to a Haryanvi girl named Manisha Malik in 2018 and lives with her family in Delhi, India.
Wiki/Biography
Karl Edward Rice was born in 1985 (age 36 years; as of 2021) in Auckland City, New Zealand.
Karl Rock’s childhood picture
He did a diploma in Audio Engineering and Music Production at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand (MAINZ) from 2001 to 2002. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Television and Media Studies at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, from 2003 to 2006. In 2010, he did a Graduate Diploma in Computer Science at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Eye Colour: Hazel Blue
Hair Colour: Dark Blonde
Family & Caste
Karl Rock was born in a Christian family.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Doug, works in a government agency in New Zealand. His mother’s name is Kate who works in a bank in New Zealand. His younger brother, Nick, works as a business manager in an export company in New Zealand, and his sister, Chloe, is a school teacher.
Karl Rock and his father
Karl Rock and his mother
Karl Rock and his brother
Karl Rock’s sister
Relationships & Wife
In one of his YouTube videos, he shared that before getting married to Manisha Malik in 2018, he had a few girlfriends, Rebecca and Chaitali from Mumbai, and Pre from Fiji. In 2016, he met Manisha who hails from Haryana. After dating for almost two years, the couple did a court marriage under the Special Marriages Act in 2018. In an interview, he talked about getting married. He said,
I was living in a hostel during that time, and the day before I met her parents, I told a hostel mate about the impending meeting. He advised me to touch her parents’ feet when I met them. He couldn’t have been more right! When I met them the next day, I immediately bent down and touched their feet, and they appreciated the gesture. For them, it meant that I could integrate myself into an Indian family. My wife is from Haryana so the Haryanvi culture in the house is powerful and they have happily made me part of that.”
Karl Rock and his wife
Career
After completing his graduation, in December 2006, he started working at Recording Industry Association, New Zealand. In 2008, he joined New Zealand Federation Against Copyright Theft as an anti-piracy investigator. Later, he was promoted as a manager of anti-piracy in the same organisation. From June 2012 to July 2014, he worked as the manager of digital services at Sony Music Entertainment in New Zealand. In June 2016, he joined Tech Futures Lab in New Zealand as a network and security technologist.
After quitting his job, he permanently shifted to India in 2016. He then started a self-titled YouTube channel in which he uploaded videos related to travelling, tips for foreign tourists, and family vlogs. Later, Karl and YouTuber Jim Browning associated with a BBC Panorama team and conducted a scamming operation. They conducted a program in which they exposed a scam of a call centre in Gurugram, Haryana, who targeted computer-illiterate and elderly people in the United Kingdom and the United States.
He gained immense popularity as a YouTuber, and he has received silver and gold YouTube play buttons for his videos. As of May 2021, he has 1.57 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Karl Rock’s YouTube play button
Controversy
In July 2021, the Union Home Ministry blacklisted him and barred him from entering India. In a statement, the Union Home Ministry said that he violated the terms and conditions of his visa. The ministry said,
He was found to be taking part in business activities on a tourist visa and also violating other visa condition.”
Later, Manisha Malik, Mr Rock’s wife, approached the Delhi High Court and challenged the Indian Government’s action against her husband. The YouTuber also tagged New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a tweet and asked her for help.
Dear @jacindaardern, the Govt. of India has blocked me from entering India separating me from my wife & family in Delhi. They blacklisted me without telling me, giving reasons, or letting me reply. Please watch my struggle https://t.co/dq0Z98SCFw @NZinIndia @MukteshPardeshi pic.twitter.com/sLM2nk9lR3
— Karl Rock (@iamkarlrock) July 9, 2021
Favorite Things
Facts/Trivia
- Since the age of 13, he did small jobs for his pocket money.
An old picture of Karl Rock
- He has published two books ‘India Survival Guide’ (2017) and ‘Learn Hindi Faster Than I Did!’ (2018).
- In an interview, he talked about learning Hindi. He said,
I started learning Hindi to assimilate. Often, menus and road instructions and other travel basics aren’t in English. Learning Hindi helps you connect with everyone.”
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- Karl is an avid animal and owns a few pet dogs.
Karl Rock’s Instagram post about his pet dog
- He loves travelling to different places on his Royal Enfield Motorcycle.
Karl Rock posing with his motorcycle
- After recovering from the COVID-19 in 2020, he donated plasma in Delhi’s government Plasma bank. In an interview, he said,
Long ago, when I had heard that the Tablighi Jamaatis had donated plasma, I made up my mind that if I ever got infected, I’d donate too. So when I recovered, I went to the clinic and was blown away with the facilities and the hygiene. It was a fairly simple and safe procedure.”
- On 10 July 2020, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made a tweet praising him for donating Plasma.
Arvind Kejriwal’s tweet about Karl Rock