‘Tried Surviving India’s Deadliest Slum’: Australian YouTuber Shares Video, Sparks Online Debate
By Anushka Vats,News18
Copyright news18
An Australian content creator has sparked outrage online after posting a video claiming he spent three days in what he described as “India’s deadliest slum.” The vlogger with the name Pete Z shot the video in Mumbai’s Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slum clusters, and uploaded it on Instagram and YouTube.
The Instagram post goes with the caption, “I Tried Surviving India’s ‘Deadliest Slum.” In the clip, the vlogger narrates his challenges during his three-day stay in the slum. The clip also features a staged robbery scene.
The man later introduces his Indian friend, Ayushi, who accompanies him as he looks for a place to stay inside Dharavi. The video ends with the two managing to find a bed for the night.
Pete uploaded a longer version of the video on his YouTube channel, which shows him interacting with local residents, entering homes, and filming their daily lives. He told his followers that the aim was to “experience their lifestyle.”
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A post shared by Pete Z (@pete.zogoulas)
Social Media Outage
His video, however, triggered outrage from Indian users who felt the portrayal was insensitive and one-sided. Many argued that Dharavi, despite its challenges, is also a hub of resilience, small businesses, and community life—an aspect that Pete’s video ignored.
“Hey, I’d suggest you explore the other sides of India too. Most of your recent videos have been placed in Mumbai’s rural areas. As an Indian myself, I think some part of your audience will judge the entire country based on that particular area you’ve covered,” said one user.
Another user mocked his limited budget, writing, “Next time you go somewhere, take more than USD 100.”
Several others accused the vlogger of chasing global attention by painting India in a negative light.
Who is Pete Z?
According to his YouTube bio, Pete Zogoulas describes himself as “a professional dingus that loves doing crazy things.” At the time of reporting, he had over 262,000 subscribers on YouTube and a little more than 4,000 followers on Instagram.
