Some places are so famous that people expect them to feel perfect the moment they arrive. Venice is one such city. Known for its canals, old buildings and boat rides, it looks dreamy in photos and videos.
Built on more than 100 small islands and connected by many bridges, Venice is seen as a must visit spot. But a recent video by an Indian traveller shows a very different side of the city. In her clip, she speaks about the strong and unpleasant smell coming from the canals, which she says ruined the experience for her.
She points out that while the water looks beautiful in pictures, the reality on the ground feels very different. Her video proves Delhi CM Rekha Gupta right, who once said Venice canals are more like open drains.
Indian Traveller Shows Venice’s Harsh Reality
Taking to Instagram, the content creator said, “I was really excited to come here. But as soon as I started walking through the streets of Venice, I couldn’t understand where that Instagram vibe had gone. Everywhere you look, you only see water, but no one tells you about the bad smell that comes with it. Some streets here are decorated, but that’s it. It reminds me of what Bunny once said, ‘It’s the Dharavi of Europe.’ The narrow lanes feel off.”
“There are very expensive shops, but still, that Instagram feeling is missing. You can do whatever you want here, but I honestly don’t know what the real scene is. People say the drains in Venice are cleaned, but to me, a drain is still a drain and it smells bad. Don’t make the mistake of sitting in a gondola, because the people who run them behave in ways I can’t even explain. They don’t even wear life jackets just to take aesthetic photos. Everything is about looks, but they don’t even fix the buildings properly,” she adds.
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Back in 2025, when Delhi CM Rekha Gupta was getting interviewed by News Nation and she was asked about Venice, she said, “When you see that river and the boats moving on it, what is it? That is a river. And that is also a drain.”
Ranbir Kapoor’s Line Feels Relatable
In the video, the content creator recalls a scene from the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. She mentions Ranbir Kapoor’s character Bunny, who jokingly calls Venice the “Dharavi of Europe,” comparing it to Mumbai’s large chawl area.
In that scene, Kalki Koechlin’s character tells Bunny that she is planning her honeymoon in Venice. He quickly dismisses the idea and says the city is a failure and not worth visiting. The creator uses this movie reference to explain how her real experience in Venice felt very different from its glamorous image.
