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Delhi is next, says Gurugram’s very own Aladdin!
Gurugram-based Kevin Koul, a young content creator who was recently spotted on the streets of the Millennium City, dressed up as Aladdin, speaks about the need to promote public prank culture in India.
New Delhi
If you’re a Delhiite, there are bright chances that you might very soon run into Aladdin. No, we are not kidding! Ask Gurugrammers who recently witnessed a youngster dressed up as Aladdin, to prank the passersby on the roads of the Millennium City. The young man who donned this avatar was Kevin Koul, a Gurugram-based content creator. “I’m still figuring out the logistics, but I promise to prank Delhiites for sure. It’s going to be a surprise for people,” he says.
With an electronic skateboard magically turned into the fabled flying carpet that the character of Aladdin is famous for, Koul has charmed quite a few with his antics. Recalling his childhood, the 21-year-old says, “I used to watch fantasy movies, and Aladdin was my favourite character! I even used to play video games themed on this character, which made me want to ride the magic carpet some day. So when I started making reels, I thought why not let my childhood fantasy come true.”
He was born in Russia and studied hospitality management at a private university in Gurugram. And his prank garnered further attention when he uploaded the video — showing him riding the skateboard-turned-carpet, and casually greeting people with a fist bump — where he’s masked-up and can even be seen sanitising his hands later. “I got an electric skateboard and learned how to ride it before the actual prank, so that I do not fall while performing the prank. I attached the skateboard to pipes and taped the red cloth to the pipe. The costume I had ordered online, and a friend helped me record the trick with a camera by following me wherever I went,” he explains.
Sharing how public pranks of this kind “keep happening in other countries”, Koul opines that he wants to “bring the culture to India and inspire the youth”.
The video shows locals, both on foot and in cars, experiencing much curiosity on witnessing the act. “People were excited, surprised and shocked at the same time. No one thought that anyone would actually be able to pull this prank off in India which makes me the first Indian Aladdin to do this prank. People were happy to see something unique. Many wanted to ride it too, and were curious how the magic carpet functioned,” he says, informing how the prank came as a happy refresher for everyone in the Covid-19 times.
An entertainer at heart, he shares how creating engaging content requires a lot of brainstorming. “I feel our generation wants to have a good laugh, and something that motivates them as well. That includes memes and such videos and posts. Many take to these to feel relaxed and enjoy their time on social media after a long day of work or school. And I try my best to provide the same,” says Koul, who is a soccer player, and began creating reels when the pandemic paused his sports practice. He adds: “When there was no Covid, I used all my time in football training. After lockdown, things very pretty boring because I was not allowed to get out of my home... but then I realised that I can make videos on Instagram and socialise. Nowadays, Instagram is a totally different world where people can come and show their talent. Some people love to make memes, some love to make songs, and some love to cook and show their skills. Now I too have a new hobby, which is to make videos like the Aladdin one and make people smile! It is sure a difficult task, but when you love to do something, you just forget how hard the work actually is!”
Author tweets @siddhijainn
