Here's the picture that Shahid Kapoor first shared and then deleted.
Highlights
- Shahid Kapoor shared a pic with an incorrect backstory attributed to it
- After facing severe backlash for it, Shahid deleted his Instagram post
- Shahid, 35, was among those who fell for the hoax
Actor Shahid Kapoor learnt the hard way that sometimes the Internet needs a severe reality check. After facing severe backlash for sharing a viral picture that turned out to have an incorrect backstory attributed to it, Shahid deleted his Instagram post. The picture, which shows a cheetah-impala hunt, quickly became sensational when a version of it began going viral with a dramatic tale of how a doe sacrificed herself to cheetahs to save her children. The incorrect story even suggested the photographer went into depression after clicking the picture, none of which is true. The actual photographer has shared a Facebook post to explain what really happened - and no, she's not, nor has she ever been, in depression. Shahid, 35, was among those who fell for the hoax.
In the post that Shahid has since deleted, here's what he had said about the picture and story: "No man can match up to what a mother does. Women are superior to men in so many ways. Let's learn to appreciate them. And learn to show them love. Every day."
The picture had collected over 1.5 lakh 'likes' and hundreds of comments within six hours of being shared. Many on Instagram urged Shahid to read the real story behind the click. It seems he eventually did read it and promptly deleted the post from his account.
It was photographer Alison Buttigieg herself who had to clear the air about the story behind the powerful image, especially the line about her supposedly going into depression.
She had clicked the photo back in September 2013 in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Her website shows a sequence of the pictures she took along with the real story of the hunt. Turns out the photo is about a cheetah mom teaching her kids how to kill, using an impala (not a doe) as prey.
"In the end, after what seemed like an interminable eternity (but it was just a few minutes), the cheetah mom put the impala out of it's (sic) misery, and the cats got to enjoy a nice meal," Ms Buttigieg says on her website.
In a Facebook post shared on February 13, Ms Buttigieg reveals how the incorrect story, especially the bit about her going into depression, has caused much trouble for her.
"A highlight of my photography career has turned into a nightmare," she says on Facebook. She even goes on to say that she's been "inundated by hundreds and hundreds of messages asking me whether I am the 'depressed photographer'."
Her post has since collected over 3,800 reactions and more than 2,300 shares on Facebook.
Don't worry, Shahid Kapoor, you're not the only one who was misled by the picture. Here's hoping this will act as a reminder to everyone not to believe everything they read on social media.