Gaurav Taneja Aka ‘Flying Beast’: Why Indian YouTuber Keeps ‘Landing’ Into Controversy
Gaurav Taneja aka 'Flying Beast' came under severe backlash over 'abandoning' his pet dog 'Mau'. This isn't the first time that the Indian YouTuber has landed into a controversy.
YouTube is a full-time job. Making content that you are passionate about while it pays your bills and keeps you fed is a marriage made in heaven. You don’t need a professional setup or hi-tech gear to get going and find your audience. Bhuvan Bam comes to mind. While being successful on YouTube is in itself a remarkable achievement only a tiny demographic gets to taste, more subscribers on your channel also mean more eyeballs that you can’t escape. One such YouTuber is Gaurav Taneja aka Flying Beast who has tasted incredible success through his videos and vlogs as he has landed himself into controversy every so often. But why is Taneja making headlines again?
Who Is Gaurav Taneja?
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Gaurav Taneja has several avenues to express himself. An IIT alum with a degree in Electrical Engineering, ‘Flying Beast’ is Taneja’s biggest YouTube channel – subscribed by over 9 million people – where he shares daily vlogs featuring his family, their adventures, and the everyday shenanigans. ‘FitMuscle TV’ is his second YouTube channel where the professional bodybuilder talks about health and diet while giving exercise tips to his loyal fanbase. The channel has a following of another 2.11 million subscribers. Then comes ‘Rasbhari Ke Papa’, a channel with 1.24 million subscribers, where Taneja can be seen playing games, attending cricket matches, and going on trips. Taneja started his aviation journey with IndiGo airline in 2014 where he worked as a first officer and pilot. He later joined Air Asia airline as a pilot.
‘Where Is Mau?’
Taneja recently faced severe backlash for “abandoning" his dog. In a video titled ‘Where Is Mau?’ that has brought the Indian YouTuber under massive criticism, Taneja explained that his pet dog Mau was moved to his farmhouse. Change in lifestyle was a reason given by him as he mentioned that his father raised objection to the dog being around the house citing religious reasons.
Those who watched his recent video did not buy his explanation.
“Don’t get a pet if you can’t commit to looking after them. No religion teaches to abandon your pets , you bring them home as your own child. Grow up and own your selfishness," read one YouTube comment.
“A dog is not an object. Duniya main har cheez apni convenience ya faayde ke liye mat karo. Mat banao tamasha har cheez ka har zindagi ka (A dog is not an object. Not everything in life about convenience or gain. Don’t make a mockery out of everything and everyone."
This, however, isn’t the only controversy that has left Taneja grounded.
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Air Asia Case
Taneja made news and found nationwide attention when he made an explosive video on his former employer Air Asia airline, accusing them of asking pilots to do 98 percent of landings in “Flap 3" in order to save fuel. “In order to achieve targets, what would people do? They will do Flap 3 landings without giving consideration whether it is safe or unsafe. This directly impacts the passenger safety," he alleged in the video adding that if there were a calamity to happen then the pilot would be questioned about keeping fuel efficiency above the safety of the passengers onboard. He was later suspended by the airline. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in and suspended two senior executives at the airline company.
Arrested For Birthday Celebration
In a bizarre turn of events, the YouTuber found himself on the wrong side of the law. Taneja was arrested in 2022 when thousands of fans assembled at a Noida Metro station to celebrate his birthday. This was upon his wife Ritu Rathee’s request. The large assembly was in direct violation of COVID-19 orders that were imposed in Noida to curb the cases. He was subsequently arrested under several sections including section 188 – Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant – of the IPC. The YouTuber was granted bail in the hours that followed.
Havan Saved Lives During Bhopal Gas Leak
Taneja’s claim that “havan" saved lives of two families struck by Bhopal gas tragedy was met with raised eyebrows online. In a now-deleted post, Taneja claimed that “havan" was a natural antidote to pollution. “ग्रह प्रवेश पूजा Hinduism is a science based way of life. On 3 dec 1984 , two families remained unaffected from Bhopal gas leak. They performed regular अग्निहोत्र (हवन), which is a natural antidote to pollution."
Infidelity And Divorce Rumours
In the recent history, Taneja’s married life with Ritu Rathee became a subject of online chatter and media gossip. The rumour mill went into overdrive when his wife, Rathee, consulted spiritual guru Premanand Govind Sharan over issues of infidelity and child custody. In a video, the YouTuber addressed and acknowledged that every couple faced issues in their marriage but urged his followers not to believe everything they read in the news media. He added that if something was repeated several times, it became the reality for everyone.
The couple observed “Karwa Chauth" indicating that all was well. In a YouTube upload, Taneja responded to the accusations that labelled this as a PR campaign.
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