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Internet Rallies Behind Struggling Business After Video Surfaces Of Owner In Tears

October 8, 2020

An elderly couple in New Delhi that sells home-cooked meals from a tiny kiosk named "Baba Ka Dhaba" has been struggling to make ends meet since COVID-19 hit.

Now, they're all smiles thanks to the power of social media.

This video completely broke my heart. Dilli waalon please please go eat at बाबा का ढाबा in Malviya Nagar if you get a chance 😢💔 #SupportLocal pic.twitter.com/5B6yEh3k2H

— Vasundhara Tankha Sharma (@VasundharaTankh) October 7, 2020

In the video shot by blogger Gaurav Vasan, 80-year-old Kanta Prasad shared that he and his wife Badami Devi start cooking at 6:30 am and are ready with the day's meal by 9:30 am. Dal, curry, parathas and rice were kept in large dishes, ready to serve for around ₹30-50 ($1) a plate.

When he was asked how much they earned, he broke down in tears. In four hours, ₹ 50 ($1) was all they had managed.

Within hours, visuals of the old man wiping away his tears racked up thousands of retweets.

Many have offered to help the couple financially and others have announced plans for lunch at Baba Ka Dhaba.

Among those who have tweeted are actor Sonam Kapoor, cricketer R Ashwin, IPL team Delhi Capitals and food delivery app Zomato.

"Baba may not have to worry about customers now. It has become quite a landmark in Malviya Nagar," said Sanket Upadhyay of India Today TV.

Baba may not have to worry about customers now. His has become quite a landmark in Malviya Nagar. pic.twitter.com/gnJn4sXhiY

— Sanket Upadhyay (@sanket) October 8, 2020

"We are very happy with the number of customers that are turning up now. We are grateful for the public support," said Prasad.

His wife added, "During the lockdown months we could not sell anything. We struggled to survive but today we are flooded with customers. We want to give our blessings to all those who helped us."

"It feels like the whole of India is with us," Prasad said.