Kerala man thought he’d become a millionaire selling ₹640 photos in London — then the police arrived

Social media is currently full of stories about people trying unique side hustles to earn extra money, especially Indians living abroad and experimenting with small business ideas outside their regular jobs. In the middle of this growing trend, a young man from Kerala has gone viral after sharing how a simple street photography idea helped him earn money in just a few minutes in London before authorities stepped in.

The video is now widely circulating online, with many users talking about street selling rules in the UK and the reality of trying side businesses overseas.

Kerala man tries instant photo business on London streets

The viral clip was shared by Vishnu Vijayadharan, a 25-year-old from Kerala who currently works in London. Along with his regular 9-to-5 job, he decided to test a simple side hustle idea on the streets of the city.

In the video, Vishnu says, “Let’s see how much money we can make by selling polaroid pictures in London.”

To begin the experiment, he purchased a Kodak instant camera for around 110 pounds, which is approximately ₹14,000. He then went to a busy street and started offering instant photographs to people nearby.

He charged 5 pounds, around ₹640, for each photograph and used a handwritten cardboard sign that read, “Cute £5 polaroids.”

Customers started coming within minutes

According to the video, the response from people was immediate.

Vishnu first got a woman customer who appeared happy after receiving the instant picture. Soon after, another customer also approached him.

“After two seconds, we got another customer,” Vijayadharan said.

The quick response made him believe that the business had strong earning potential in a city like London.

“At that point, I genuinely started thinking we were going to make millions, but our next customer turned out to be the police,” he said.

Police soon interrupted the activity

The experiment took a sudden turn when council officers arrived at the location while he was selling photographs.

Vishnu later shared that he was informed that permission from the local council is required to sell goods or services on public streets in London.

“Council officers came to charge us for illegal street selling,” he revealed.

He also admitted that he did not know about the rule before starting the activity.

“Apparently, we were supposed to take permission from the council to do this, and I had no idea about it,” he said.

Even after the interruption, Vishnu felt that the idea could work successfully for people who complete the proper process.

“But if you have permission from the council, you can easily make 100 pounds an hour here,” he added.

Before the activity was stopped, Vishnu managed to earn 10 pounds, which is approximately ₹1,200.

Internet divided over viral video

The clip has received mixed reactions from social media users. While some people appreciated the creativity behind the idea, others spoke about the importance of following local regulations abroad.

“That is why visa rules are getting tougher because of you people … just don’t treat every country like India,” one user commented.

Another user reacted by saying, “Too many rules in the UK.”

The video continues to trend online as discussions around side hustles, extra income, and street business rules remain popular on social media.

Disclaimer: This report is based on a video circulating on social media. The location and authenticity of the clip have not been independently verified, and the details mentioned reflect online claims and public reactions only. Thumb image: Instagram