- Artist painted Lord Ganesha on an aircraft window.
- Video went viral, causing significant online backlash.
- Artist clarified using a transparent protective sheet.
An Indian artist sparked massive online backlash after sharing a video of herself painting a portrait of Lord Ganesha while traveling on a flight. Initially posted on Instagram on September 21, the clip quickly went viral across social media platforms, where netizens accused her of defacing public property and demanded strict action.
Indian Artist Paints On Aircraft Video
The artist identified as Mitali Salunke, posted the video on Instagram with the caption: “When you love painting Bappa, And can’t make up to mandap while travelling…Finding new canvas while we travel.” The clip begins with Salunke carefully sketching the outline of Lord Ganesha directly onto what appears to be the aircraft window. As the video progresses, she fills in the details with vibrant, eye-catching colours to bring the portrait of Bappa to life against the backdrop of the blue sky.
However, the sketch triggered a wave of scrutiny and intense debate online. A user wrote, “A woman painter stuck a transparent sticker on an airplane window, then painted Lord Ganesha on it for a video just for views. Painting on plane windows isn’t allowed. And picking a Hindu god for content clicks? That’s not creativity; that’s just a lack of civic sense.”
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Netizens React To Viral Video
Another user commented, “Everywhere they go, [they] damage property.” Demanding an action against her, a third user added, “That’s disgusting. Hopefully it got fined and arrested for graffiti.” As the backlash grew, Salunke later clarified in the comments sections that she had actually used a protective transparent sheet to make the painting. She also shared a photograph of herself holding the painted sheet. However, the identity of the airline she was traveling on remains unconfirmed, as it was not disclosed in the viral video.
Can Passengers Paint Commercial Aircraft Windows?
Passengers are not allowed to paint on commercial aircraft windows. According to rules, defacing or altering cabin property is illegal and is considered vandalism or the destruction of public or private transport property.