A simple act of basic humanity performed by a Kolkata taxi driver on Christmas Eve has achieved what four years of creating Instagram content could not. Munna Ajij Mollick, who drives a cab and makes reels, suddenly found viral fame after a video of him helping an intoxicated female passenger safely to her doorstep garnered over 31,000 likes.
The Viral Act of Kindness
The incident unfolded late on December 24th. Mollick picked up a woman who was visibly unwell after attending a Christmas party. Concerned for her safety, he started recording on his dashcam. In the now-viral video, the passenger is heard pleading, "Can you get me home safe, uncle? I am so drunk... can you help me with that?" Mollick calmly reassured her.
He even spoke to the woman's mother on the phone, promising to deliver her daughter home safely. "I will call you 5 minutes before I reach your residence," he told the mother. Upon reaching the Ultadanga residence, the mother was delayed. Mollick then went above and beyond, taking the keys from the passenger, opening her door, ensuring she was seated comfortably in a chair, and locking the main gate before leaving. His parting advice was: "Try to take better care of yourself and your Ma."
From Security Guard to Aspiring Teacher: Mollick's Journey
The 31-year-old driver hails from a lower-middle-class family in East Burdwan and moved to Kolkata in 2012 for college. He graduated from Syamaprasad College while working as a security guard. With a scholarship from the state's minority department, he earned three diplomas in IT and desktop publishing.
Notably, Mollick is a trained primary teacher who has qualified the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and completed DElEd. Despite reaching final interview stages and being empanelled multiple times, he never received a final appointment letter. Post-Covid, to fund his younger brother's education, he bought a cab after leaving his security job. He now drives daily from noon to 11 PM, still hoping for a stable career, having also attempted clerical and WBCS exams.
Reflections and Ripple Effects
Mollick, who posted the reel on his channel 'Raste Pe Barta' on New Year's Eve, was surprised by the overwhelming response. "I guess even simple things now are going missing from our lives," he reflected, calling his actions "basic humanity." He later deleted the video at the passenger's request, but it continued to circulate on other platforms.
He credits his former employers, Rohina Mehrotra and her son Aniket, for their continued support, offering him shelter and parking. "If I have managed to survive in Kolkata, it is largely due to them," said Mollick, who lives in Padmapukur with his brother and father, also a security guard. His final thought resonates with his newfound attention: "Wherever I end up, I wish to keep doing things that are good for society."
