The vada pav vendor was selling outside the bungalow; now owns it: Internet reacts: 'Hard work really does win'

Vada pav cart in Surat caught everyone’s attention. It stands right next to the white bungalow. The bungalow belongs to Anilbhai, the cart owner himself.

Vada pav has been selling since 1997. Back then, one vada pav was just enough ₹2.50. Today, he still rides the wheelchair right next to the bungalow he owns.

Although he now owns a bungalow, Anilbhai continues to work there regularly. He recently shared his story with food vlogger Harry Uppal.

Anilbhai clarified that he did not build the bungalow himself. He owed it to his mother’s years of hard work. He attributed his success to her blessing. He also mentioned blessings from Goddess Maa Amba.

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Before starting this business, Anilbhai’s life was very different. His family worked in the Bombay Canteen near the temple. Sometimes they looked after people’s shoes there.

They also helped customers to park their vehicles regularly. Anilbhai even worked at ONGC shortly thereafter, serving as a peon for 17 months. He left that job early every night and then rushed to set up his vada pav stall.

He learned the recipe by watching his mother closely. She prepared vadas at home. Vada pav was already popular in Mumbai at that time, so they just stuck to the traditional style.

However, life was not easy in those early years. Officials of municipal corporations often “harassed” his business on the road. Sometimes he had to wrap everything completely. Still, he continued to work hard every day.

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Interestingly, building a bungalow was never his personal dream. It was actually the dream of his mother and brother. He never imagined living somewhere like this. The thought had simply never occurred to him before.

Asked about the special taste of his vada pav, Anilbhai smiled. His mother’s masala recipe remains truly magical, he said.

“My mother makes the masala. There is magic in her hands. She prepares it and we sell it,” he said in the vlogger’s Instagram video.

“This is a pav. We put butter on it, then green chutney and red chutney. Then we put the bug inside like this.”

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We serve it to customers with chili. Our customers really like chili,” he added.

Anilbhai also shared strong thoughts about hard work.

“People keep saying, ‘We’re poor, we’re poor’. But if someone works hard, whether they start small or have very little, hard work can get them somewhere,” he said.

Interestingly, he used to go to the bungalow to sell vegetables.

Reaction on social networks

Social media users reacted enthusiastically to the story.

“It’s great to see people like this winning in life,” said one user.

“Hard work really does win out,” commented another user.

One user wrote, “Really proud of you Anilbhai.”

“Gujarat is full of this kind of story,” wrote another user.