AI or real? Truth behind viral video of rat jumping out of pani puri container

The debate over hygiene in Indian street food is a never ending one. A video circulating widely on social media appears to show a rat suddenly jumping out of a container filled with pani puri liquid, leaving viewers shocked and even question whether it was real.

The clip was posted on Instagram by content creator Karanbir Singh (@ karan_dhanju26) while he was filming a street food challenge. Titled “Rat in Pani Puri”, the video shows Singh recording the challenge when he notices something moving inside the container holding the spiced water. He later says the liquid was thrown away.

In the footage, the vendor can be seen trying to remove the rat from the container. Moments later, the rodent jumps out and runs into a nearby drain. But wait, the video likely has a catch!

Creator’s clarification

As the video went viral, the creator dropped a follow-up video clarifying that the visuals were not AI-generated. He stated in the comments section that the video was recorded on his phone and not made using any AI tool.

Singh shared a screenshot showing the clip's details. According to the metadata displayed, it was recorded on February 8 at 4:24 pm on an Apple iPhone 13.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Singh said he had visited the stall with a friend as part of a challenge. He claimed the rat appeared midway through the challenge, emerging from the spiced water before running away.

While some viewers remain skeptical, Singh has strongly denied claims that it was fabricated, calling the clip “100% original,” reported the media publication.

DH also checked using AI-detection tool Hive Moderation, which indicated that the footage "likely does not contain AI-generated or deepfake content."