A video posted by Instagram reel creator Saloni Agarwal, who has over 556k followers, has sparked outrage across social media after she recorded her young son complaining about difficulty in breathing and dismissed his distress as mere "nautanki (drama)".
In the now-viral video, the visibly anxious boy can nearly be seen crying while doing his homework. He tries expressing himself to his mother, "Meri saans atak atak ke chal rahi hai (My breathing feels stuck), but she chooses to mock him.
Instead of showing concern, Saloni brushes him off, accusing him of faking symptoms to avoid studying. In a laughing tone, she is heard saying he has no trouble while playing outdoors and only complains during study time.
Watch video
More details
Despite the child later clarifying that he faced similar issues even while playing, Saloni uploaded the clip online with a insensitive caption that labeled his behavior as "nautanki".
The reel (posted in February) led to severe backlash, especially from mental health professionals, concerned parents, and other Instagram users.
Netizens criticise the reel
Psychologist Rupali replied to the post, "I interact with children daily. Some may feign symptoms...but this child isn’t faking it. His ability to articulate his distress clearly indicates he's experiencing something real. This should never be ignored."
Anxiety and trauma therapist Randeep Sandhu added, "Oh my goodness, I cried after watching this. As a mom of two boys, I could empathize deeply. He’s just anxious and scared. The way he said ‘Papa ko bulao’ (Call Papa) was truly heartbreaking."
Social media users echoed these sentiments.
One user, Naghma Rizwan, commented, "This is not nautanki. He is having anxiety."
Another, Veda, expressed her thoughts on the clip and wrote, "You should feel ashamed. Instead of mocking him, you should’ve listened. You’ll regret this later".
