3 min readNew DelhiMar 18, 2026 12:30 PM IST
First published on: Mar 18, 2026 at 12:30 PM IST
What was supposed to be just another routine online meeting turned into an unexpected moment for RemoteStar CEO Naresh Harwani. During a team call last Friday, he was surprised to see one of his youngest employees, 21-year-old Vartika Bisht, appear on screen wearing a bright green neem face mask and wrapped in a towel.
For a brief moment, Harwani paused, seemingly unsure how to react. Then, breaking the silence, he asked, “What face pack is that?”
“Neem,” Bisht replied casually, even suggesting, “You should try some.”
The interaction left other team members trying hard to hold back their laughter. A clip of the moment soon made its way online, where it quickly went viral—drawing over 5 lakh views, thousands of comments, and widespread shares.
Watch the video:
Social media users had plenty to say. One viewer joked, “I shared this video with my boss to show some great leadership in action, he responded that it is definitely AI.” Another user commented, “Leave behind the GenZ employee, look at the CEO who is a millennial, such calm sorted nature, no over reaction nothing, a simple smile on the face.”
A third person asked, “How are the others controlling their laughter?” A fourth individual added, “This is called work life balance.”
The company later posted a follow-up video on Instagram, revealing that the entire scene had been a planned prank. On learning the truth, Harwani simply smiled and admitted, “It was a good one.” He also remarked that he now better understands why many employees prefer to keep their cameras switched off during online meetings.
Bisht later told Moneycontrol that she had only joined the company three months ago and agreed to the prank because of the supportive workplace culture. “I probably would not have done anything like this at any other company,” she said, adding that the team’s friendly nature made her comfortable going along with the idea.
Harwani, meanwhile, told Moneycontrol that he doesn’t mind light-hearted moments at work as long as they don’t affect productivity. Running a bootstrapped startup can be stressful, he noted, and allowing employees to have fun can help strengthen team bonds — especially since more than 90 per cent of his workforce belongs to Gen Z.
Having led RemoteStar for six years, he also emphasised the importance of younger talent. According to him, startups benefit from their fresh thinking and energy. “When you’re building a startup, you need fresh minds and that energy… Moreover, with the ongoing AI disruption, Gen Zs are very much equipped to deal with the business,” he said.
The interaction left other team members trying hard to hold back their laughter 
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