Bengaluru's 'Skid Game': Journalists Turn Potholes Into Satirical Survival Challenge, Video Goes Viral | WATCH

Bengaluru residents and journalists donned 'Squid Game' costumes for a viral protest on July 24 to highlight dangerous footpaths and potholes.

Bengaluru Journalists Stage 'Squid Game' Protest (PHOTO: X/@baadalvirus)

In a bold and satirical show of protest against the decaying city infrastructure, some Bengaluru residents and reporters organised a "Squid Game"-style protest on Thursday, July 24, outside St. John's Hospital. The novel act was designed to raise attention about the dangerous state of footpaths and roads, a recurring civic problem in India's tech hub.

The protesters, clad in the green tracksuits sported in Netflix hit South Korean series Squid Game, were featured in a now-viral video on X (formerly Twitter). The video depicts them trekking on a broken pavement filled with deep holes of potholes, uneven floors, exposed cables, and open sewerage, recreating the survival tests on the show. One of the sights in the video is a participant slipping and almost falling into a pothole. The caption in the video joked, "It's Skid game for Namma Bengaluru Journalists."

Its Skid game for Namma Bengaluru Journalists! @BBMPCOMM #foootpath #stjohnshospital @anusharavi10 @Ananthaforu @path2shah @Prakash94805561 pic.twitter.com/MhObk128g7

— baadal nanjundaswamy (@baadalvirus) July 24, 2025

The demonstration was an innovative attempt at raising awareness about the dangers pedestrians face, especially in one of Bengaluru's most crowded parts. The theme of Squid Game struck a chord in many, representing the everyday battle residents experience as a result of neglected public infrastructure.

The clip rapidly became viral, garnering every kind of reaction available on the internet. Though plenty thought the protest was "hilarious," with some hoping for the Squid Game theme song in the background, numerous users were annoyed and critical of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for its perceived inability to keep city roads and pavements in working order. Such remarks as "Skip jump and skid game" and "Bangalore is the worst city to live in. We need a lot of work to be done to make it world class" reflected the widespread underlying grudges.

On the other hand, most users praised the protestors for their creative method. "Bravo Bengaluru's footpaths are a mess and the roads are full of potholes — the situation is terrible. Respect to all the volunteers who took this different approach to highlight the issues to BBMP. Hopefully, BBMP takes action and fixes them now," one appreciative user wrote.

This Squid Game-inspired protest is only the latest such instance of Bengaluru residents adopting unusual methods to flag civic indifference. Last year, there was a similar incident in which residents in the Jayanagar neighborhood conducted a "pothole puja" (worship) to one particularly problematic pothole on Varamahalakshmi Vratham day, leaving flower petals, turmeric, and kumkum in a satirical appeal for repairs.

The ongoing worsening of road and footpath conditions continues to be a priority concern for the people of Bengaluru, who hope that these innovative, if unvarnished, protests will at last elicit meaningful action from civic officials.