Since that serendipitous day in 2016 when a Pakistani tea-seller's photo went viral, Arshad Khan has come a long way! He recently opened his own cafe in Islamabad called 'Chaiwala Rooftop,' reported Daily Pakistan.
Speaking to Urdu News channel, Arshad said that people were asking him to name his venture after himself but he refused because he believes that 'chaiwala' is his identity. The decor of his cafe is inspired by desi "truck art." Along with tea, he serves 12-15 dishes. Arshad is committed to making the cafe work and will be dividing his time between his new business venture and his acting career.
Backstory
Arshad Khan's story goes all the way back to 2016 when the 17-year-old tea-seller from Pakistan was photographed by an aspiring photographer Jiah Khan who later posted it on Instagram.
That day was momentous for Arshad as his photograph went viral overnight, making the 17-year-old tea-seller nothing less than a star.
This incident transformed his life completely as he was interviewed by international media and the internet went gaga over him!
In an interview with Brut, Arshad recently shared how he was completely clueless about the media at first and he didn't quite understand why they were after him and neither did he anticipate a photograph gaining so much attention.
The instant fame on the internet got him modelling offers and he even starred in a music video!
Cut to the present where Arshad has a cafe inspired from his humble beginnings and the internet couldn't be happier for him!
Take a look:
He also aspires to create a franchise out of his cafe and open stores across many different locations.
(With inputs from Daily Pakistan and Brut)