A video of an HDFC Bank employee, Aastha Singh, went viral when she was caught on video losing her temper in a customer care incident and saying, ‘Thakur hoon main, bakchodi nahi’(I am a Thakur, I am not a fool). The video caused a viral debate and criticism on social media and had a number of individuals raising questions about the professionalism of a bank employee who could make such a statement in the presence of a customer.
What Did Aastha Singh Say?
To address the criticism, Singh explained her side of the story by saying that the event happened during a very stressful dialogue and that her comment was not an insult to any community but a spontaneous response to the stress. She stressed that her message was misunderstood and she is terribly sorry about her expression to the masses.
Scripted ya Real .. ??#HDFCBank #TejRan pic.twitter.com/GWp9r2oF0j
— Pratibha Rajwansi (@Partibha_) February 10, 2026
Singh also explained her emotional response in the interaction that was recorded on the video. In her narration, she was handling a very challenging case when a customer complained, and she lost her temper and in her opinion this led her to react in a manner that she now feels sorry about. She stated again that the words she had spoken were an expression that was thrown out in the heat of the moment and was not to carry any overture of arrogance or discrimination. The quote by Singh also admitted that the stress levels may be high in frontline customer service jobs and asked viewers to look beyond emotional reactions in cases it is not in context.
HDFC Bank Viral Video Row
The incident has triggered a wider discussion on professionalism and behaviors within the customer services profession, with particular reference to stressful work such as in banking. According to industry observers, though employees are supposed to remain calm, even experienced professionals will be challenged by cases of angry customers. HDFC bank, in its turn, has not issued statements regarding disciplinary measures, but it is generally assumed that they will discuss the standards of conduct within the bank after the video went viral. In the meantime, the explanation by Singh has attracted mixed reactions on the internet, as some users have accepted her apology and others are demanding that officials representing an institution such as the bank are expected to implement greater levels of decorum at all times.
