Woman records three men catcalling her at temple in India, video sparks outrage

A woman shared a video of her being catcalled by a group of men while walking alone to the temple, documenting the unsettling encounter and her emotional response in a now widely discussed post on social media.

The video was shared on Instagram by user Chiro, who opened up about the incident in the caption. She wrote, “They thought I didn't understand Hindi and, to be honest, this is so f wrong but then also, these kinds of things are happening to me just because I look a little different."

She also addressed accusations that the clip was staged for attention, adding, “For those who think that I have made this for views, let me tell you my account was dead. I had no reason to post this for publicity, I just wanted to address the situation.”

Explaining why she appeared composed in the clip, she said, “I'm smiling and all, people might ask why I'm not crying in the video but everyone sees it so I cannot cry in front of the camera, obviously.”

She then clarified her actions after the recording ended: “For the people who told me I should have stopped after this I did stop and waited for my friends to come, but they also stopped. So I think the situation is clear now.”

In the video, Chiro films herself in selfie mode while walking toward a temple, narrating the situation as it unfolds. “The weirdest species in the world would be Indian men, when they see a girl walking alone. I'm on my way to the temple, and these guys have been catcalling me non-stop,” she says.

The camera then briefly turns to reveal a small group of three men behind her, seen smiling, singing, and waving toward the lens as she appears visibly uncomfortable.

Watch the video here:

The clip triggered strong reactions online, with several viewers showing their concern over the apparent normalisation of such behaviour.

One user wrote, “The fact that they aren't even threatened of you recording their inappropriate behaviour they still have the audacity to smile seeing the camera.”

Another user wrote, “It’s even scared me how normalised this has become at this level that they don’t even feel shame anymore because they know the justice system rarely holds them accountable.”

The video also led to conversations around women’s safety in public spaces, the everyday nature of street harassment, and the role of social media in documenting and confronting such experiences.