A 19-year-old boy from Almora in Uttarakhand is winning over the internet after filmmaker Vinod Kapri caught him on camera running through Noida late in the night.
“This is PURE GOLD. Last night at 12 o’clock on the road of Noida, I saw this boy running very fast with a bag on his shoulder. I thought he could be in trouble so I should offer him a lift. I repeatedly offered him a lift but he declined. You will fall in love with this child if you get to know the reason,” Kapri said in a tweet as he posted the video of his encounter with Pradeep Mehra.
In the video, Kapri asks Mehra the reason behind his sprint to which he replies, “I always run on my way back home.” As the national award-winning filmmaker starts talking to him, the teenager reveals he works at a McDonald’s outlet in Sector 16, Noida. Mehra also tells Kapri he wouldn’t get the time to run if he accepts the lift offer and that he runs 10 kilometres to reach his home in Barola after work because he wants to join the Indian Army.
Moved by the teenager’s determination, Kapri suggests he could run in the morning and requests him to get into the car. Mehra says, “In the morning, I have to go to work and cook food at 8 am.” The boy tells him he has an elder brother and his mother is in hospital.
As their conversation gets going, Kapri tells the teenager that his video would go viral. “Who is going to recognise me? It’s okay. I am not doing anything wrong.”
Kapri also asks him to have dinner with him but the boy says his elder brother would go hungry if he doesn’t cook as he works on night shifts. “Pradeep, you are amazing. Let me please drop you home,” tells Kapri. “It’s my routine, if I come with you it will affect my practice,” the teenager replies.
After the video went viral, Kapri met Mehra at McDonald’s outlet after his work the next day and once again shared a video of his second meeting on Twitter. “Have you got to know anything, now?” Kapri is heard asking in the video. “Yes, you are a recipient of an international award,” says a smiling Mehra. “No, I haven’t got any award,” replies Kapri to which Mehra says, “I heard about you and so searched on Google about Vinod Kapri.”
“What’s the big deal in going viral. I haven’t done anything wrong, I am just running,” Mehra says about the clip going viral. “The whole country is lauding you,” Kapri says.
“But, lakhs of people have watched it and they are saying this child is wonderful and is an inspiration,” says Kapri. He also says that people from the Army are calling him and wishes to connect with Mehra.
When asked if he wants to give any message to the world, Mehra replies, “Work hard and then everything will be alright.” The internet sensation finally agrees to Kapri’s offer for a lift. “It’s not good to stop in the middle. People do come and offer me a lift,” he says.
The grit and determination of the teenager have captured hearts online. The clip has also grabbed the attention of many politicians, including Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, and bureaucrats. Many netizens also talked about the grumblings when we face trouble.
Pradeep, wishing you the very best of life. You deserve it, because it is always the hard work that pays off in the end. May you realise your dream of being in the army.
“This is PURE GOLD. Last night at 12 o’clock on the road of Noida, I saw this boy running very fast with a bag on his shoulder. I thought he could be in trouble so I should offer him a lift. I repeatedly offered him a lift but he declined. You will fall in love with this child if you get to know the reason,” Kapri said in a tweet as he posted the video of his encounter with Pradeep Mehra.
In the video, Kapri asks Mehra the reason behind his sprint to which he replies, “I always run on my way back home.” As the national award-winning filmmaker starts talking to him, the teenager reveals he works at a McDonald’s outlet in Sector 16, Noida. Mehra also tells Kapri he wouldn’t get the time to run if he accepts the lift offer and that he runs 10 kilometres to reach his home in Barola after work because he wants to join the Indian Army.
Moved by the teenager’s determination, Kapri suggests he could run in the morning and requests him to get into the car. Mehra says, “In the morning, I have to go to work and cook food at 8 am.” The boy tells him he has an elder brother and his mother is in hospital.
As their conversation gets going, Kapri tells the teenager that his video would go viral. “Who is going to recognise me? It’s okay. I am not doing anything wrong.”
Kapri also asks him to have dinner with him but the boy says his elder brother would go hungry if he doesn’t cook as he works on night shifts. “Pradeep, you are amazing. Let me please drop you home,” tells Kapri. “It’s my routine, if I come with you it will affect my practice,” the teenager replies.
After the video went viral, Kapri met Mehra at McDonald’s outlet after his work the next day and once again shared a video of his second meeting on Twitter. “Have you got to know anything, now?” Kapri is heard asking in the video. “Yes, you are a recipient of an international award,” says a smiling Mehra. “No, I haven’t got any award,” replies Kapri to which Mehra says, “I heard about you and so searched on Google about Vinod Kapri.”
“What’s the big deal in going viral. I haven’t done anything wrong, I am just running,” Mehra says about the clip going viral. “The whole country is lauding you,” Kapri says.
“But, lakhs of people have watched it and they are saying this child is wonderful and is an inspiration,” says Kapri. He also says that people from the Army are calling him and wishes to connect with Mehra.
When asked if he wants to give any message to the world, Mehra replies, “Work hard and then everything will be alright.” The internet sensation finally agrees to Kapri’s offer for a lift. “It’s not good to stop in the middle. People do come and offer me a lift,” he says.
The grit and determination of the teenager have captured hearts online. The clip has also grabbed the attention of many politicians, including Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, and bureaucrats. Many netizens also talked about the grumblings when we face trouble.
Pradeep, wishing you the very best of life. You deserve it, because it is always the hard work that pays off in the end. May you realise your dream of being in the army.
