Kumari aunty: Viral Hyderabad food stall owner, whose plight led CM Revanth Reddy to intervene, says ‘enough is enough’

Four days ago, on January 30, the local traffic police asked her to shut the shop and move to another suitable location as swelling crowds outside her stall often caused major traffic blocks in the area. The street near ITC Kohenur is thronged by young IT professionals, drivers and daily workers alike every afternoon.

A native of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, Kumari and her family have been running the stall for the past 13 years. Viral videos of the curries and fries that she offered only resulted in more people flocking to her stall every afternoon. Interestingly, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels featuring her friendly chatter and infectious smile have raked up millions of views.

The social media campaign and Kumari’s popularity have become a bane for a dozen other stall owners who fear eviction if the traffic blocks continue. (Express Photo by Rahul V Pisharody)

As authorities arrived to evict her on Tuesday, Kumari turned to the same vloggers and influencers to seek justice. It was not the first time stalls erected on the pavement here were removed but this time only she was asked to relocate. The plea to save her livelihood received an overwhelming response on social media platforms and garnered support from none other than Chief Minister Revanth Reddy himself who, on January 31, directed the state police chief and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to allow her to continue at the same place. Reddy even promised to visit her eatery soon.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the chief minister’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Boreddy Ayodhya Reddy said, “Hon’ble CM Sri @Revanth_Anumula garu directed the @TelanganaDGP &MAUD to rescind their decision to shift #KumariAunty a streetside eatery. She will stay in her place. Prajala Palana means the govt stands by entrepreneurs. Congress govt will stand by poor & visit her stall shortly”.

Hon’ble CM Sri @Revanth_Anumula garu directed the @TelanganaDGP&MAUD to rescind their decision to shift #KumariAunty a streetside eatery. She will stay in her place. Prajala Palana means the govt stands by entrepreneurs. Congress govt will stand by poor & visit her stall shortly

— Ayodhyareddy_Boreddy (@ayodhyareddyb73) January 31, 2024

“This is my livelihood, let me get on with it. Let everyone here do their business. Crowding and gathering every day like this will cause inconvenience and traffic jams. I request you (YouTubers) all to stop this,” Kumari said on Saturday after resuming her business.

On the previous two days, hundreds had gathered outside the shop even as it remained shut. Such is her popularity that people have been reaching here from places afar just to have a plate of rice and different meat-based curries or fries. “I have come from Vikarabad (nearly 100 km away) just to taste the food. I have seen the videos and the support she received seemed genuine,” said one Harish Kumar.

Social media hype and troubles

The social media campaign and Kumari’s popularity have become a bane for a dozen other stall owners who fear eviction if the traffic blocks continue. “It is ok that people are coming for the taste but they should not cause disturbance to others. This is a street full of vendors like her and everyone is doing business. We are happy that she is allowed to continue but this (crowd) should be streamlined,” said a woman running a nearby stall.

Many, however, believe that there is nothing special about Kumari’s food and it is all hype created by social media. (Express Photo by Rahul V Pisharody)

Echoing her views, another woman added, “Please stop this. We don’t want coverage on YouTube. We don’t want that business which comes from popularity on social media. We are happy even otherwise,” she said, adding that in the past few years, their stalls were bulldozed and removed twice.

Furious at Kumari’s outburst against vloggers and influencers, one of them, Shravani Balaji, said that at least 200 YouTubers like her have been covering Kumari’s plight since the beginning. “We are highlighting problems of people on the ground which mainstream media doesn’t bother about and it is because of us that she got a response from the CM. Now these shops won’t be evicted. It’s not right to say we do it for views, if we get views that’s a bonus. We have been here from the beginning,” said Shravani who has been running a food vlog for the last couple of years.

The crowd outside the stall. (Express Photo by Rahul V Pisharody)

Many, however, believe that there is nothing special about Kumari’s food and it is all hype created by social media. Ramulu, a biryani seller, said the taste is similar in all the food stalls and one cannot really make out any difference. All of them prepare food early in the morning in their home kitchens and serve it to the public between 11.30 am and 3 pm.

“You make a video viral on social media and more people will join to make more viral videos. Otherwise, nothing is special about her food. Social media can make or break anyone these days,” he added. Shravani begs to differ. “There are a dozen stalls and the taste is not the same. People are not fools, they know where they want to eat from. It is not just a hype.”

Software professionals Soujanya and Deekshith were among the first few to make their way through the crowd and get a plate of rice and meat curry on Saturday. “We just wanted to try the food once. That’s it. The taste is ok but the price is a bit on the higher side for a roadside stall,” said Soujanya.

Deekshith agreed that the hype on social media was drawing more people like them to try the food at least once. Starting from Rs 120 for a plate of rice and chicken curry, different dishes here cost anywhere between Rs 150 and Rs 250. Meanwhile, even as the swelling crowd causes traffic jams, authorities remain helpless following the direct intervention of the chief minister.