Chennai restaurant faces backlash for food wastage after video of 'Bahubali' thali goes viral

Days after a video of its famous 'Bahubali' thali went viral, a Chennai eatery was in the midst of a social media storm.

The Chennai-based Ponnusamy Hotel came under fire for introducing a 'Bahubali' thali, priced at Rs 1,399 (plus taxes).

Twitter user Ananth Rupanagudi shared the video on Tuesday, and wrote, "At Ponnuswamy Hotel Chennai. This Bahubali thali costs Rs. 1399/- + GST! Any family game for it?" in the caption.


The video showed two staff members of the hotel carrying the massive plate and serving to the customers. It caught people's eye and started doing the round on social media.


The tweet prompted a flood of responses, with many users criticising the offering. Several people felt it wasn't a good idea. Many raised concerns about potential food wastage "when half the world is starving."

Users also highlighted that serving food in large quantities can lead to it getting cold and impacting the overall dining experience.

Despite heavy criticism, some users defended the price of the thali, arguing that it might not be overpriced considering its size.

This isn't the only Bahubali Thali in India. Priced at Rs 1,500 (plus taxes), House Of Paratha in Pune also offers a gigantic thali that is perfect for a group of six people.

Named after the success of director SS Rajamouli's blockbuster 'Baahubali', the speciality of this jumbo thali is its 22-inch stuffed paratha - filled with paneer. It is prepared with enormous amounts of home-made butter and cheese.

The thali also includes seven to eight sabzis named after the characters like Devasena, Kattapa, etc from 'Baahubali', three to four laccha parathas, two types of rice, two desserts, one chur-chur naan, dahi puchka and a glass of lassi or chaas. The eatery challenges people to finish the thali single-handedly in 45 mins. If anyone completes the challenge, food will be free for a lifetime.

These massive food offerings have raised questions about responsible food practices and both consumer experiences and societal concerns surrounding food wastage.