Baba returns to Dhaba
Avideo of a teary-eyed old couple who ran a small eatery in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar and were forced into penury due to Covid-19, tugged at the heartstrings of many, last year. Featuring Kanta Prasad aka Baba — owner of Baba ka Dhaba, which was set up by him and his wife to make ends meet — the video became viral overnight and donations poured in, so much so that it enabled him to open a restaurant, last December. But, Prasad, 80, is now back to square one, for the restaurant had to be shut due to insufficient earnings.
“I was incurring heavy losses. Tushant (Adlakha; social worker) had said he’d help run it, but woh chala gaya. The income was barely anything, so we closed it and sold off all the equipment. That fetched us around ₹36,000 out of the ₹5 lakh we had invested,” says Prasad, adding that he wasn’t responsible for managing the donations.
But, many acquainted with Baba say he wasn’t experienced enough to handle the money he amassed. “Baba received around ₹42 lakh through donations. A majority was put in a fixed deposit, with their younger son as the nominee, which caused a rift in his family. Neither of his sons devoted time to the restaurant, so Baba had to sit at the counter. He’d also drink regularly,” says Adlakha, claiming Baba has been retracting his statements. “He already had plans to open a restaurant, which he discussed with Gaurav (Wasan; food blogger who had filmed the original video). We tried to help him with everything. Baba was involved at every step... Later, he called me for help, but I had personal commitments, so I couldn’t. I’m deeply hurt by what he’s saying about me publicly,” he adds.
It was reported by us last October that YouTuber Lakshay Chaudhary accused Wasan of misappropriating over ₹20 lakh that came as donations; Baba even filed a complaint. But, the father of three holds no grudges against Wasan: “Woh aayenge toh baithaenge saath.”
Now at his old food stall, Prasad says, “Kaam sahi chal raha hai... After me, my kids will run Baba ka Dhaba!”