- By Shailvee Tiwari
- Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:40 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
NRI Couple Viral Video: What was meant to be a night of devotion, dance and celebration in Vadodara has now turned into a heated online debate. At the grand United Way Garba in Kalali ground, a video of an NRI couple kissing in the middle of the garba floor went viral, sparking outrage on social media. The clip shows the man lifting his partner and kissing her on the lips while the crowd continued to dance around them. Soon after, internet users slammed the couple for their PDA, calling it disrespectful to the Navratri celebrations, which are dedicated to Mataji’s worship.
According to reports, the incident took place on September 26 and a complaint was filed at Atladra Police Station. The couple, identified as Pratik Patel from Manjalpur and his wife from Anand, were summoned by the police. They are Australian citizens of Indian origin, married for 16 years, parents to two children and currently living in Melbourne.
At the police station, the couple admitted their mistake and submitted a written apology. Police confirmed, “They submitted in writing that the place where they kissed was a sacred site during Navratri. They have apologised, stating that they should not have done that. They are locals but have been living in Australia. They have been married for 16 years and have children.” After the apology, they were allowed to leave and later flew back to Australia.
Watch The Viral Video:
The NRI couple has issued a formal apology after their kssing video at a Garba event in Vadodara went viral.
— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) September 28, 2025
The couple were called to the police station after the United Way Garba event. They are Australian nationals of Indian origin. They issued a written apology. pic.twitter.com/0dsOk0jWD9
The video shared on X (Formerly Twitter) by the handle 'YearOfTheKraken' yesterday and received more than 1 million views from social media users and is the hot topic today. The Internet has a mixed reaction to the viral video. "In India, spitting, peeing, and slapping in public are legal and adored, while a small gesture of love between a couple results in police action. How are we better than the Taliban again?" a user wrote. "Why is pissing in public more socially acceptable than kissing in public?" a second user wrote.
"It’s good that the couple took responsibility and issued a formal apology. While personal freedoms matter, public events also require respecting cultural sentiments and local norms. Such apologies help maintain harmony and show accountability, especially when people from different backgrounds are participating," wrote a third user. "Good that the couple apologized. Garba is a devotional and cultural celebration, not the place for such displays," added a fourth user.