Travel influencer Shashank Gupta is under fire for his remark comparing the food on the Vande Bharat Express to that of a luxury hotel. He defended his opinion despite the backlash, stating it was an honest review without political bias.
Gupta was served a breakfast that included poha, cutlets, potato curry, paranthas, curd, some namkeen and a Choco-Pie.
“Today I traveled in train no -20981 Udaipur Agra Vande Bharat express from Udaipur to Agra and the food in this train was no less than any five star hotel in terms of taste,” the vlogger wrote.
Gupta faced harsh criticism after his social media post, with many questioning whether his review was genuine or if he had been paid to write a favourable comment.
Some X (formerly Twitter) users shared a photo of Gupta standing before a coach dedicated to “Social Media & Influencers”, suggesting that the influencer enjoyed a paid trip.
Netizens react
“If this is 5 star hotel food for you then I’m sure you’ve never been to a 1 star restaurant/cafe in your life,” wrote one user while another posted, “If this is 5-star food then I’m Shahruk Khan.”
“Yesterday morning I travelled by Vande Bharat train from Gandhinagar Jaipur to Delhi cantonment and was served breakfast with chapatis (yes, chapatis for breakfast) with a yellowish watery insipid subjee. Even a roadside eatery would taste better than this,” one user shared his experience.
Shashank Gupta reacts to trolling
The vlogger later addressed the controversy and posted another comment. He clarified that his review was based on personal experience, not influenced by outside factors and aimed to be honest.
“While it may not have been 5-star quality, I found it to be a significant improvement compared to typical train food,” he wrote.
“If you disagree with my opinion, I respect that, but let’s keep the conversation civil and constructive. Trolling and personal attacks only serve to undermine meaningful dialogue. Let’s focus on sharing our experiences and perspectives without assumptions or accusations,” he added.