Raju Da is not a stand-up comedian. He is not a motivational speaker or a podcaster. He does not sing covers or pull off sleek dance moves to popular numbers. In fact, he has very little in common with most Instagram influencers.
Yet, Raju Da – a paratha seller in Koley Market, just across from Kolkata’s Sealdah railway station – has more than 34,000 Instagram followers.
What is remarkable about Raju Da, you may wonder. For one, his unique style of flexing the platter that he serves.
“Three parathas, unlimited sabzi, a boiled egg, a slice of onion, a green chilli – Rs 30. You won’t even get a train ticket for that cheap,” announces Raju Da in Bangla in innumerable reels, as he juggles between serving his customers, attending to food vloggers and posing for selfie seekers.
The line has become so popular that even Bangladeshi cricket fans were shouting it from the stands during a recent cricket match.
Every once in a while, as I discuss the Raju Da phenomenon with friends who are victims of the same genre of brainrot, I try my best to mimic him. Others have gone to greater lengths. Reels have been made breaking down Raju Da’s revenue model, and dance troupes have composed choreography on his famous Rs 30 line.
In a world governed by algorithms, your Instagram feed is like the result of a polygraph test. If you have indulged in something, it will show up in great profusion. And so, as the year draws to a close, I am in equal parts left wondering and amused at the mad, mad universe of my Instagram reels where Raju Da finds his place alongside Manmohan Singh tributes, Jasprit Bumrah videos and (another constant) dad jokes.
