Paris is often celebrated as the city of love, a global symbol of romance, art, and beauty. But one Indian travel vlogger’s viral reel is challenging that glossy postcard image.
Actor, traveller, and filmmaker Vinayak Mishra (@thevinayakmishra) recently shared his first impressions of the French capital in a video that has taken social media by storm. The clip, which has already crossed 2 million views, shows Mishra stepping out of a metro station—only to be greeted not by Parisian charm but by dirt, garbage, and roadside chaos.
“Paris gave me a plot twist in the first 5 minutes,” he wrote in text overlay on the video. Looking visibly stunned, he can be heard asking, “Kaha par hai ye? Ye Paris hai? Ye toh macchi market jaisa lag raha hai?” (“Where is this? Is this Paris? It looks like a fish market”).
The reel then cuts to a contrasting, cleaner stretch of the city. Commenting on the drastic difference, Mishra adds: “This neighbourhood is normal, but the other place was weird. People coming from all directions and screaming, as well as garbage lying around.”
Looking at the mess around him, he admitted, “I did not have this image of Paris in my mind.”
Yet, despite the shock, Mishra praised the city’s layered identity in his caption: “Paris is real, raw, and still so beautiful. Paris is a multicultural city, and not every part looks the same. The area in this reel has a very different vibe, but that doesn’t mean the whole city looks like this. Just like in India, every place has different sides, and that’s what makes travelling so real and interesting.”
Netizens React: Shock, Comparisons, and Advice
The video has left many online users surprised, with comments pouring in from across the world.
One user wrote: “It looks so messy, I’m guessing there was a busy market earlier and that was the aftermath.”
Another added: “New York is no different… go and see.”
Some cautioned travellers to choose their locations wisely: “Bhai stay in central Paris, if you are staying even slightly outskirts mein then this is what you will get. Also don’t step out in such areas at night. It’s extremely unsafe.”
Others drew humorous comparisons, likening the Paris neighbourhood to Indian locations like Dilshad Garden or Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station.
But not all reactions were critical—many echoed Mishra’s own balanced perspective: “I also saw this area when I exited the M4 to visit the Montmartre Basilica, but the rest of Paris was amazing. I visited a lot of places. I was really nervous before going because of videos like these, but I was impressed. I would love to go again.”
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