Vietnamese waiter’s love for ‘Balika Vadhu’ stuns Indian traveller; Avika Gor says ‘made my day’

A chance conversation at a restaurant in Vietnam has turned into a wholesome internet moment after a local waiter spoke about his love for the Indian television classic Balika Vadhu, starring Avika Gor.

A video of the conversation, now widely shared on social media, features Win, a Vietnamese waiter, reminiscing about watching the show with his family during his childhood. He recalls how they would rush home after school just to catch every episode together. The clip was posted on Instagram by Indian traveller Juhi Ghodgaonkar, who met Win during her visit to Vietnam and was surprised by his unexpected connection to Indian TV.

In the video, Juhi explains, “So I was talking to him, and he told me that he watched this movie, an Indian movie”. As she asks him to show it on his phone, Win turns his screen to the camera and says, “It’s Balika Vadhu. It’s famous in Vietnam,” a revelation that visibly moves the creator.

Joining him, Juhi excitedly tells viewers, “Yeah, it’s Balika Vadhu, guys. He watches Balika Vadhu. That’s his favourite TV show right now.”

Win goes on to explain why the series stood out for him and his family. “I’m a big fan also with my family,” he says, adding that the show’s calm, slow-paced storytelling felt refreshing compared to the fast action films common in Vietnam. He fondly remembers “hurrying up after school” to watch the show together, praising its long-running, emotionally rich storyline.

Overwhelmed by the moment, Juhi jumps with excitement and says, “I love this. I love this. After school, he used to come and watch Balika Vadhu. Guys, this is the best thing I’ve ever heard today at Hanoi.” The video’s text overlay sums up the surprise perfectly: “I thought he was going to name a Shah Rukh Khan movie but what he answered was even better.”

In her caption, Juhi tagged Avika Gor and wrote, “Girl, you’re popular in Vietnam,” adding that Win was “the sweetest man to discuss his love for this show”. Avika noticed the post and responded with, “Made my day,” followed by a fire emoji.

Win later joined the comments too, writing, “Omgg my familyy is your big fann,” and adding, “It’s me, it’s really fun. I think I need to watch this movie again.”

The interaction struck a chord with viewers. One user commented, “I have a friend from Bulgaria and her whole family watches Balika Vadhu. When I first heard I was like whatttttt wowwwww.” Another wrote, “I was in Vietnam few weeks ago and I was also shocked. They also watch saath nibhana sathiya.” A third Instagram user commented, “I love South-East Asian countries’ downbadism for Indian entertainment.”