A Kanpur resident, who had instantly shot to fame after his picture of allegedly chewing gutkha while talking on the phone during the first Test between India and New Zealand had gone viral, issued a clarification on Friday. He said it was sweet supari and not gutkha or tobacco that he was chewing during the test match that later on became the fodder for meme fest on social media.
Shobhit, a resident of Sarvodaya Nagar in Kanpur, was at the stadium during the second day of the ongoing test match as well. On Friday, he spoke to news channels and clarified that it was sweet supari and not gutkha that he was chewing when the camera panned at him, making him the subject of the online meme fest.
“I had gone to watch the match with my sister. I was talking to someone on my mobile phone while chewing sweet supari when the camera captured the video that later went on to become viral on the internet,” Shobhit told in an interview.
Although Shobit is happy with the fame he has received after his picture went viral, he regrets some of the lewd comments made against her sister. Shobit said, “Such people who made crass remarks against my sister should realise that she is somebody’ sister, someone’s daughter. The comments made against her were totally uncalled for and unwarranted,” said Shobit while adding that he will never eat masala in his life.
Picture of Kanpur man allegedly chewing gutkha goes viral on the internet, triggers a meme fest
Earlier yesterday, the picture of Shobit chewing something while talking on the phone during the India-New Zealand Test in Kanpur instantly went viral, after social media users alleged that he was chewing gutkha. Kanpur is infamous for tobacco and pan masala and there have been several jokes and memes on the same. It took no time for netizens to come up with creative memes to link Shobit’s picture with Kanpur’s infamy, alleging that the man in the picture was chewing gutkha or tobacco.
The picture was widely shared on the internet, with netizens sharing creative and hilarious memes on it.
Former cricketer Wasim Jaffer also partook in the social media frenzy, sharing a popular dialogue from the Bollywood movie Phir Hera Pheri. Jaffer shared a meme that read, “Person on the other side of that call: Muh se supari nikal kar k baat kar re baba (speak after spitting betel nuts).”
Apparently, the incident is from the 70th over during the first day of the Kanpur test match between India and New Zealand. New Zealand is set to play another test match in Mumbai and the series is a part of WTC 2021-23.