Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia recalls how Indian staff touching Bollywood star's feet shocked American guests

Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia recently shared a past incident on social media highlighting India's intense culture of celebrity worship. Sabeer hosted a gathering at his home many decades ago with a renowned female Bollywood actor and several American guests in attendance. Indian food for the event was catered from a local restaurant. Midway through the evening, one of the Indian waitstaff recognized the actor, put down his tray, bent all the way down, and lay flat on the ground to touch her feet.

Reactions

The American guests were completely bewildered by the gesture, asking why the waitstaff touched her feet and who she was. Sabeer stated that he did not know how to explain the action, though the moment stayed with him. He did not name the actor in his post out of respect for her privacy. The social media post quickly went viral and drew strong reactions from netizens.

Context

Deeply rooted cultural traditions in India often involve touching the feet of elders and respected figures as a mark of profound reverence. For people from other cultural backgrounds, such extreme displays of respect toward public figures can appear striking or difficult to understand.