Rock Lama Apologises After "Lafda" Vlog Meant to Promote a Film Sparks Backlash in Darjeeling

Darjeeling-based content creator Sahil Tamang, known online as Rock Lama, issued a public apology on September 18, 2026, after a promotional vlog built around a staged or exaggerated "lafda" (public drama) in Darjeeling drew sharp criticism from local viewers and the wider Nepali-speaking community.

The video that triggered it

On September 15, Rock Lama posted a video titled *"Darjeeling Mein LAFDA Ho Gaya"* on his YouTube channel, Rock Lama Vlogs. The video was timed to promote the regional release of Mumbai Junction, a Nepali-language film written, directed, and headlined by Bharat Biswa, which premiered in cinemas across Gangtok, Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Kurseong on September 18.

To drive views ahead of the release, the video leaned heavily on footage built around a "lafda" — dramatized or heavily exaggerated public conflict — set in Darjeeling.

Why people reacted

Local viewers and commenters said the video painted Darjeeling as a place prone to public infighting, which they felt was both inaccurate and potentially damaging to the town's image with tourists. Critics also accused Rock Lama of manufacturing drama for views and using Darjeeling's name to generate attention and sympathy for the film's release rather than promoting it on its own merits.

The backlash escalated quickly across comment sections and social media, with some viewers calling for a boycott of the film just days before its premiere.

The apology

Facing the pushback, Rock Lama took down or walked back the original framing and posted an apology across platforms — titled *"Sorry Darjeeling Sorry Whole Nepali Community"* on Facebook and *"I Never Meant To Hurt Anyone…"* on YouTube, both released on September 18.

In the videos, titled to echo his stated regret, he said he never intended to portray Darjeeling or its people negatively, and that the backlash stemmed from an error in judgment around the video's framing and thumbnail rather than any intent to mock the community. He also asked that his family be left out of the online criticism directed at him, and tried to steer the conversation back toward supporting regional Gorkha and Nepali cinema.

Not his first brush with local criticism

This is not the first time Rock Lama's content has drawn friction at home. In March 2026, he was at the centre of a separate controversy during a cleanliness drive in Jaigaon, along the Indo-Bhutan border, where pollution in the Torsa River has been a long-running local concern. He posted a video appealing directly to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over dumping in the river — but his confrontational approach during the drive drew accusations from some local residents that he was staging conflict for views rather than genuinely engaging with the civic issue.

Where things stand

Mumbai Junction went ahead with its planned September 18 release across the four towns despite the online row. As of this report, Rock Lama has not faced any formal action over the video, and the controversy appears to be playing out entirely in public comments and social media reaction rather than through any official complaint.

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Sources:

- Rock Lama Vlogs — YouTube

- Rock Lama — Facebook

- Sorry Darjeeling Sorry Whole Nepali Community — Facebook

- I Never Meant To Hurt Anyone… — YouTube

- Mumbai Junction (2026) — District

- Jaigaon Cleanliness Drive Sparks Controversy — Jaigaon Today, Facebook

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