US filmmaker and reporter Adam Ellick recently fueled a debate online after sharing video footage of Indian airline passengers standing up to collect their belongings from overhead compartments immediately after landing, despite crew instructions.
Ellick posted the video on Instagram with the caption, “Classic landing in India,” reigniting discussions.
The footage, which begins with the text “Textbook landing in India for the first time,” shows passengers attempting to grab their bags while a female crew member repeatedly urges them to remain seated until the seatbelt sign is turned off.
Subsequently, a male crew member makes an identical announcement, prompting passengers to return to their seats. The video also captures passengers rising whilst the aircraft is still in motion on the runway.
The viral video sparked mixed reactions from netizens—while some agreed with the filmmaker, others criticized him for labeling it a “classic Indian landing” in the comments section.
One user wrote: “People are always in hurry. They just make things difficult for others.”
Another wrote with a laughing emoji: “We are great Indians?”
A third user commented: “Lack of civic sense, selfishness, this country is filled with such legends.”
A different perspective emerged from another user: “Adam I travel a lot and in different countries and saw same thing with every race and people of every country , it’s just a cause of impatience travellers all over the world… not just Indian my friend.”
While some observers highlighted gender dynamics, with one user stating: “Hard to ignore the fact that the magic male voice was immediately successful while multiple requests in the female voice went completely unheard. Being an Indian woman, I find this very unsettling.”