The Konkan region is mourning the loss of one of its most heartfelt voices. Shirish Gawas, the creator of the Red Soil Stories YouTube channel, passed away at the age of 33 while receiving treatment for a brain tumor in Goa. His passing has touched the hearts of thousands who found warmth and inspiration in his simple yet soulful videos.
Shirish came from Sasoli Patye Punarvasan village in Dodamarg taluka. He was the son of Satyawan Gawas, a retired Nayab Tahsildar, and was deeply rooted in his family’s values. He leaves behind his wife Pooja, their one-year-old daughter Shrija, his parents, and a sister.
Together, Shirish and Pooja brought rural Konkan to life through their channel. Over the course of the pandemic and beyond, they uploaded 161 videos, building a subscriber base of 4.27 lakh people and reaching viewers in over 40 countries. Their stories featured local cuisine, farming, festivals, and everyday village life—captured with sincerity, respect, and love. The couple’s final video was a celebration of their daughter’s first birthday, now a lasting memory of family and joy.
Originally working in Mumbai—Shirish in IT and Pooja in film production—the couple moved back to Konkan during lockdown. Armed with a second-hand camera and a desire to document life around them, they turned quiet moments into timeless stories.
Fans and fellow creators gathered in Sasoli to pay tribute, sharing messages filled with grief, gratitude, and admiration. Though Shirish is no longer here, his spirit continues to speak through the red earth, the quiet smiles, and the stories he shared with the world.