Who is Sarthak Sachdeva, creator accused of lying for Air India upgrade stunt
Influencer Sarthak Sachdeva drew backlash after a video appeared to show him faking an injury to seek an Air India upgrade.
Influencer Sarthak Sachdeva is facing intense backlash online after allegedly faking an injury to secure a business class upgrade on an Air India flight, a stunt many internet users have called unethical and insensitive.
Sachdeva, who is known for prank videos and “social experiments” on Instagram, recently uploaded a video in which he appeared at the airport wearing a neck brace and arm sling before requesting an upgrade from airline staff. The now-deleted clip later showed him relaxing in business class while revealing that the injury had allegedly been staged as part of content creation.
The video quickly spread online and triggered sharp criticism across social media platforms.
Here's the clip:
With over 1.7 million followers on Instagram, Sachdeva has built a large audience through public pranks, reaction videos, and viral experiments. However, many viewers felt this particular stunt crossed a serious line because it involved exploiting sympathy usually reserved for passengers genuinely dealing with medical conditions or physical difficulties.
Several users pointed out that such acts could create unnecessary suspicion around travellers who actually require assistance during flights. Others criticised the growing culture of creators manufacturing increasingly questionable situations for views and engagement.
Social media reactions soon turned furious, with many users calling the stunt “manipulative” and “deeply irresponsible”. Some people also questioned whether airline staff had been misled into offering priority treatment or upgraded seating based on false claims.
A section of the internet even demanded strict action against the influencer. Several angry users tagged aviation authorities and airlines, urging them to place Sachdeva on a no-fly list for misusing airport systems and normalising deceptive behaviour for online content.
“People with real injuries already struggle to be taken seriously. This kind of stunt makes things worse,” one user wrote. Another commented, “This is not a prank. This is lying for privilege.”
The controversy has now reignited larger conversations around influencer ethics and the pressure to constantly create viral content, even at the cost of public trust and basic sensitivity.
India Today has reached out to Air India for a response regarding the incident. The copy will be updated accordingly.
Influencer Sarthak Sachdeva is facing intense backlash online after allegedly faking an injury to secure a business class upgrade on an Air India flight, a stunt many internet users have called unethical and insensitive.
Sachdeva, who is known for prank videos and “social experiments” on Instagram, recently uploaded a video in which he appeared at the airport wearing a neck brace and arm sling before requesting an upgrade from airline staff. The now-deleted clip later showed him relaxing in business class while revealing that the injury had allegedly been staged as part of content creation.
The video quickly spread online and triggered sharp criticism across social media platforms.
Here's the clip:
With over 1.7 million followers on Instagram, Sachdeva has built a large audience through public pranks, reaction videos, and viral experiments. However, many viewers felt this particular stunt crossed a serious line because it involved exploiting sympathy usually reserved for passengers genuinely dealing with medical conditions or physical difficulties.
Several users pointed out that such acts could create unnecessary suspicion around travellers who actually require assistance during flights. Others criticised the growing culture of creators manufacturing increasingly questionable situations for views and engagement.
Social media reactions soon turned furious, with many users calling the stunt “manipulative” and “deeply irresponsible”. Some people also questioned whether airline staff had been misled into offering priority treatment or upgraded seating based on false claims.
A section of the internet even demanded strict action against the influencer. Several angry users tagged aviation authorities and airlines, urging them to place Sachdeva on a no-fly list for misusing airport systems and normalising deceptive behaviour for online content.
“People with real injuries already struggle to be taken seriously. This kind of stunt makes things worse,” one user wrote. Another commented, “This is not a prank. This is lying for privilege.”
The controversy has now reignited larger conversations around influencer ethics and the pressure to constantly create viral content, even at the cost of public trust and basic sensitivity.
India Today has reached out to Air India for a response regarding the incident. The copy will be updated accordingly.
