Kolkata Metro authorities caution content creators against phone-sticking and running stunt

KOLKATA: A reel that appears to show a passenger casually leaving his phone stuck to a moving Metro window before running in the direction of the moving train with a popular tune playing in the background is now making its way into Kolkata’s social-media ecosystem, prompting Metro authorities to caution commuters against attempting the stunt.The trend, which recently prompted a warning from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), has been replicated on the Metro systems in several Indian cities. In Kolkata, too, similar “phone-sticking and running” videos are being noticed on social media, with officials warning that such attempts could put the creator and fellow commuters at risk, besides damaging the phone and causing inconvenience on platforms and inside coaches.“We urge commuters not to treat Metro trains and platforms as a film set. The concern is not only the phone: someone running along a departing train could collide with another commuter, lose balance or create a dangerous situation near the platform edge. We have asked RPF officials and station staff to be cautious about such attempts and are also appealing to passengers to discourage anyone attempting such stunt,” said a Metro spokesperson.The craze exploded nationally after Delhi-based influencer Nikhil Kochar posted a reel on the Delhi Metro’s Yellow Line. Grooving to the tune of ‘Manma Emotion Jaage’ from ‘Dilwale’, the video showed Kochar dancing on the platform before appearing to stick his phone to the train and run after it as it departed. The reel crossed 135 million views in two days and spawned a stream of imitations.But the apparent stunt is largely an illusion. There is no reliable evidence that Kochar’s phone remained attached to the moving train throughout the sequence. Viewers spotted reflections and differences in image quality and concluded that the final footage was shot from inside the coach and edited with the platform sequence. In the format being copied, the creators across the country have started to pose beside the train while a separate camera records from inside, creating the impression that the phone stuck to the window is filming the entire sequence.The trend has since travelled beyond Delhi. Similar “phone-sticking and running” videos have surfaced in Bengaluru.The practice has also been replicated with local trains, buses and even auto-rickshaws.Regular commuters echoed the concern, saying a few seconds of viral footage was not worth creating a risk for others. “These days people shoot reels and videos at public places without the consent of other passengers often creating disturbance for them. What looks like a clever camera trick online can become dangerous when people try to copy it for real and can create a bigger trouble for fellow commuters,” said Puja Sengupta, a regular commuter.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in KolkataStay updated with the latest Kolkata news. Download the TOI App.