A video circulating on social media showing a staff member at Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan’s home holding a box of sweets and an envelope claiming to contain a ₹10,000 (Indian rupees) bonus has triggered widespread criticism of the star’s Diwali-gift practice.
In the clip filmed outside his residence during the Hindu festival of Diwali, the employees are shown receiving promotional gift boxes alongside a cash envelope. When asked, one employee says the envelope contains a bonus of ₹10,000. The video quickly went viral, sparking social media users to question the amount as inadequate for household staff.
Social media commentators reacted strongly. One user named “Devish” posted, “Only ₹10,000?”, while another quipped that his own housemaid earns ₹13,000, and that staff elsewhere receive bonuses equal to a full month’s salary or more at Diwali. A third user wrote, “Only ₹10,000 – shameful”, and others echoed doubts that a star of Bachchan’s stature should reward long-term staff with such a modest amount.
The viral reaction has raised questions about standards of staff compensation during festive seasons, especially in high-income households. The episode also underlines the expanding influence of social media in shaping public perceptions of celebrity behaviour during cultural occasions.
