“Golden Heart Samson,” said one comment. Another beneath it wrote, “Brand promotion karne ka tarika thoda casual hai.
And of course, an internet favourite adds, “Samson bhai should have been given a Samsung.”
This incident occurred on the side of a road in Palakkad while Sanju Samson was on a break during his commute.
At this time in Palakkad, Sabareesh, headed to play cricket with friends, bat in hand and wearing a yellow cricket jersey, was on his way to the ground for a game. When they spotted a black SUV parked on the side of the road with Sanju Samson standing near it talking on his phone, their plans changed.
And HOW!
There is a particular kind of hesitation you experience when you are surprised to see a celebrity. You check again; you re-check, then decide on whether to approach.
Sabareesh approached too, finally!
Samson noticed them, gestured for a moment, finished his call, and then did what most fans hoped for, he didn’t rush off. He stayed, spoke, and agreed to a selfie.
Sabareesh pulled out his phone. But there was a problem.
He attempted to take a selfie, and found that his phone screen was cracked severely enough to impact the quality of the image. When they attempted to capture a photograph, it suddenly went out of focus. Although most people would just let it go as another trivial everyday mishap or have a laugh about it, somebody noticed this time.
Sanju bhai ftw!
A Gesture That Didn’t Seem To Be Performative
This moment is unique not only because of what Samson did but how quickly he did so.
There was no discussion of it, no lead up; he simply opened the trunk to his car, reached in and got out a brand new smartphone (with all the original packaging) that had an estimated price point of around ₹30,000 and handed it to Sabareesh.
Brb, going to believe in humanity again!
He did not give them a speech after it nor did he wait for any dramatic expression, but simply said “keep it, your phone is broken.”
And here’s the most important detail; this event was not posted by Samson, but rather it circulated because someone else did post about it.
How An Intimate Moment Became Public
There is no shortage of ways in which the Internet can rip apart a story and make every incident feel like an interactive comment section.
The images from this encounter began to be shared widely, and a tweet that described the moment went viral. Subsequently, news organizations reported on the event with their own unique spin, and each added their own layer to a narrative that is most often described as “heartwarming,” “unexpected” or “heartwarming”.
However, once comments were added to articles the story took on a life of its own.
The Internet Does What It Does Best
If you go and read through the comments, you’ll see the plethora of opinions that await Samson’s fate.
Many called his act grounded, kind and generous. One user said, “Ese bande ko kabhi troll nahi karta koi,” meaning that through these kind acts, he has gained a level of goodwill beyond just performance.
There is also humour involved with this situation. For example, there were many puns based on “Samson-Samsung.” Many tweets read, “Samson ko toh Samsung dena tha na?”
There are also some people questioning the motivation behind this out-of-nowhere kindness act. Is this a promotional act with a company or should this athlete have provided a better phone?
All of these reactions do not preclude another person’s reaction. In this instance they all coexist and contribute to creating an experience of authenticity and legitimacy.
Why There Are People Questioning Their Reaction
There are many examples within the viral nature of this incident for which people were sceptical about the original intention for producing it.
Many instances of kindness have been orchestrated in furtherance of a marketing campaign attributed to a talent or created as a result of exposing a talent.
The intention behind this product is not identifiable with a marketing or advertising campaign; as a result of this many are sceptical!
The Context Adds to The Authenticity of The Moment
Samson is currently navigating a lean patch in the IPL. Scores of 6, 7, and 9 in his first few outings have kept him in conversations, but not the ones any batter wants. His move to Chennai Super Kings was welcomed with a huge bouquet of expectations, but so far, it does not look like the flowering season.
So this moment with the fan feels even more endearing, vulnerable and… blame the internet and the negativity, but yeah, sus too!
More than Just An Act of Kindness, It is A Relatable Story
Most people have experienced broken phones, bad pictures and little disappointment in their lives; however, when someone comes and fixes the issue, it becomes a little too pookie for the internet not to go gaga over it.
The experience of this story is relatable to everyone, therefore, you do not have to be a fan of cricket to understand the importance of this relationship; you only need to have shared the misfortune as the result of a similar experience in time.