Jaipur: A viral Instagram video featuring an American traveler named Charlie Evans walking up the steep path to Jaipur’s Amber Fort has triggered a debate online after he branded Indians as “lazy” and “out of shape”, drawing sharp criticism from many social media users.
In the clip, Charlie is seen descending from the historic fort while commenting on the number of Indian visitors who had stopped midway during the climb. Claiming that many people were resting, smoking or drinking beverages instead of completing the walk to the top, he generalized the sight as proof of what he described as Indians’ unwillingness to “go the extra mile”.
“I know why Indians are out of shape,” he says in the video, adding that many tourists were “stranded halfway up” and uninterested in finishing the climb despite having paid the entry fee. He goes on to repeat his claim multiple times, insisting that the scene validated his view that Indians are “lazy”.
The video has since crossed 4.36 lakh views on Instagram, triggering a flood of reactions that range from agreement to outright outrage. While a small section of users echoed the American traveller’s remarks, arguing that fitness and exercise are often neglected in India, a much larger group pushed back, calling the comments stereotypical, insensitive and rooted in cultural ignorance.
Some responses used humor to counter the claim. “Indians won’t climb a hill unless there’s a temple on top,” one user wrote, while another added, “Put a temple at the peak and see how fast people reach there.”
Others took a more measured approach, urging the traveler not to generalize an entire population based on a single experience. One comment read, “FYI, the British came, admired, looted, divided and ruled, and left with our resources. So most Indians don’t appreciate an English-speaking foreigner blaming Indians, even if you think you’re being honest. Some people are health-conscious, others are not. Please come, visit and enjoy our country — but don’t generalise.”
A few users admitted that the video struck an uncomfortable chord. “You’re right. None of my friends want to join me for cycling at 6am on a weekend,” one person commented, suggesting that lifestyle habits do play a role.
However, several others reframed the issue altogether, arguing that the problem was not laziness but motivation. “It’s not laziness, it’s motivation. Tell them there’s a world-renowned temple on top and they’ll run,” another user wrote.
