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Journalism of Courage
Chandrika Gera Dixit, famous as Delhi’s ‘Vada Pav Girl’, has entered the popular reality show Bigg Boss OTT 3 as a contestant. The third season of the show will be hosted by actor Anil Kapoor. It premiered on Friday on Jio Cinema at 9 pm.
Who is Chandrika Gera Dixit?
Dixit shot to fame overnight after a video of her serving street food in Delhi’s Sainik Vihar neighborhood was posted by food vlogger Amit Jindal. Dixit told Jindal how she had to quit her job at Haldiram’s after her son caught dengue fever. She also said her husband worked with Rapido, a bike-taxi aggregator, but struggled with unconventional work hours, and that her passion for cooking inspired her to start the food cart.
Dixit, however, has been controversy’s favourite child.
A video that went viral in March, showed Dixit, in tears, stating she was under pressure from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to remove her food cart. She alleged that despite paying them around Rs 35,000, the officials continued to demand money from her. In several viral videos, Dixit argued there are many food carts operating without permission across Delhi.
Collaborating with popular content creators and food vloggers further amplified her popularity. From Bigg Boss 17’s Tehelka Bhai aka Sunny Arya to Puneet Superstar to Dolly Chaiwala, Dixit served vada pav to many celebrities.
In April, Dixit met Nagpur’s popular tea vendor Sunil Pati aka Dolly chaiwala. In a video, Pati urged his followers to support ‘self-made’ vendors. “We stand on the streets and run our businesses. No work is small for us,” he says in the video.
Calling Pati her role model, Dixit says, “He is my role model. Just like me, he suffered a lot. I came running when I got to know he wanted to meet me.”
Dixit’s growing popularity urged many to set up vada pav carts in Delhi. In a viral video shared by food vlogger Foodie Maneha on Instagram, Dixit can be heard saying in Hindi, “Yesterday aunty said she put her cart because I was not there. Look, she is here today as well. Why would someone sabotage someone’s business?”
As the video progresses, the ‘Vada Pav Aunty’ admits she set up the cart a day earlier. Speaking about ‘sabotaging’ Dixit’s business, she defends herself saying she’s just doing her work and came here after ‘Vada Pav Girl’ went viral in Delhi. “Taste matters. We both are offering taste,” she says.
She also met Delhi’s ‘Vada Pav Boy’, who disclosed that many food vloggers approached him to speak negatively about Dixit.
Cut to April, reports of Delhi’s ‘Vada Pav Girl’ being arrested by the Delhi police spread like wildfire, triggering a trend under #DelhiVadaPavGirl across all social media platforms. According to reports, people protested against Dixit for organising a Bhandara on her son’s birthday on a busy road.
Days of trolling, altercations, and controversies later, Dixit was recently seen with a Ford Mustang. The luxury car, worth over Rs 76 lakh in India, will be reportedly driven by Dixit to sell vada pav. In a viral video, Dixit was seen coming out of the car’s trunk with a plate of pav, hinting at ‘something big’ on its way.
Delhi eagerly anticipates the adventures that await the ‘Vada Pav Girl’.
