The internet can be a nasty place. One day you're the face of a viral street food sensation, and the next, you're at the center of a national scandal that refuses to go away. That's basically the reality for Sehaj Arora and Gurpreet Kaur. You probably know them as the couple who invented those cheesy, clay-pot pizzas in Jalandhar. But for the last couple of years, people haven't been talking about the food. They've been talking about the Kulhad Pizza viral video.
Honestly, it's a mess. What started as a heartwarming story of two young entrepreneurs building a business from a cart turned into a nightmare involving extortion, deepfakes, and even religious protests. Now, in early 2026, the dust is finally starting to settle, but the story is a lot more complicated than those 10-second clips you might have seen on Telegram.
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The Viral Video That Changed Everything
Back in September 2023, an intimate video allegedly featuring the couple started circulating like wildfire. It wasn't some accidental leak. Sehaj claimed from the start that they were being blackmailed. Someone had sent them the clip on Instagram, demanding a huge sum of money. When they refused to pay and went to the police, the video was leaked anyway.
It hit at the worst possible time. Gurpreet had just given birth to their son, Waris. Instead of celebrating their new baby, they were hiding in their house while the entire country judged them.
Sehaj’s first move was to call the video a "fake." He claimed it was generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). This sparked a massive debate. Was it actually a deepfake? Or was that just a damage control tactic? While the Jalandhar police did eventually arrest a former employee, Tanisha Verma, for the leak, the "AI" claim remained a point of contention for months. Some tech experts argued the movements were too natural to be 2023-era deepfakes, while others pointed out that extortionists often use "face-swapping" tech to ruin reputations.
The Business Collapsed Overnight
You can’t just walk back into a restaurant after something like that. Gurpreet mentioned in a podcast with Namit Chawla that their sales dropped by a staggering 90%. Imagine that. You build a brand, people line up for blocks to eat your food, and then suddenly, the seats are empty because of a 30-second video.
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It wasn't just about the money, though. The social media comments were toxic. Every time they posted a recipe or a family photo, the comments were flooded with "vile" remarks and links to the video. It got to the point where they couldn't even take their baby to the park without people whispering or recording them on their phones.
Why the Controversy Refused to Die
Just when things seemed to be calming down, a group of Nihang Sikhs got involved in late 2024. This took the situation from a "viral scandal" to a "religious issue." The protesters showed up at their shop in Jalandhar, demanding that Sehaj either stop posting "indecent" videos with his wife or remove his turban.
Their argument? That the couple’s online presence was "anti-Sikh" and setting a bad example for kids.
Sehaj didn't just back down. He went to the Akal Takht—the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs—to ask for a ruling. He basically told them, "If I'm wrong, punish me. But don't let people harass my family." Eventually, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had to step in and order the police to provide them with security because the threats were getting out of hand.
Moving to the UK: A Fresh Start?
By early 2025, it became clear that staying in India was becoming impossible. Rumors started flying that the couple had split up after they unfollowed each other on Instagram. People thought it was a divorce.
Turns out, it was likely just a way to scrub their digital footprint. By January 2025, reports confirmed that Sehaj, Gurpreet, and their son had moved to the United Kingdom. They basically traded their celebrity status in Punjab for a quiet life where nobody knows who they are. They’ve been trying to rebuild from scratch, away from the constant "where's the video" comments.
What We Can Actually Learn From This
The whole Kulhad Pizza viral video saga is a cautionary tale about the "Influencer" trap. You've got two people who used social media to build a massive business, but that same social media was used to tear them down.
Here are the hard truths we can take away from this:
- Privacy is a myth: If you record it, it can be leaked. It doesn't matter how secure you think your phone is. Hackers or disgruntled employees are always a risk.
- The "AI" Defense is getting harder: While deepfakes are real, using AI as an excuse for every scandal has made the public more skeptical.
- Internet fame is fragile: You can go from 1 million followers to being a social outcast in less than 24 hours.
If you're ever in a situation where private content is being used against you, don't try to handle it alone. The first step is always the Cyber Cell. Don't engage with the extortionists. The Kulhad Pizza couple went to the police immediately, and while it didn't stop the leak, it did lead to an arrest and gave them some legal standing to fight back.
The biggest lesson? Sometimes the only way to win the internet's game is to stop playing it and move on.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Secure your digital life: Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) on all social accounts and cloud storage. Never store sensitive content on apps that sync automatically to the cloud.
- Report, don't share: If you see a "leaked" video, don't click it and definitely don't share it. Platforms like Instagram and X have specific "Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery" (NCII) reporting tools that actually work.
- Know your rights: Familiarize yourself with the IT Act (specifically Section 66E and 67) which protects against the publishing of private images without consent.