Mere Paas Meme Hai

Memes are the Bad Boys of our time, for ‘whatcha gonna do when they come for you’, right? This caustic Internet phenomenon spares nothing and no one. From the Royal Family to Baba Ramdev to the Grumpy Cat, for a meme creator, no subject or person is sacrosanct. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor learned it the hard way when he decided to get super articulate in a tweet and our dear PeeCee got a taste of it when she wore a trench coat gown to the Met Gala.

Bollywood too is no stranger to memes, with many movies and songs becoming fodder for the meme gods. Actress Daisy Shah understands this the best as her Race 3 dialogue, ‘Our business is our business, none of your business’, became a meme magnet overnight. The actress, however, took the post with a pinch of offence as she put out a post on Instagram saying, ‘To all the people who think they are too smart. Create ur own identity 1st n GET A LIFE. Wait! I am sure you don’t have any. #patheticlosers (sic)’. She later clarified her reaction in another post, where she said: ‘Wasn’t talking about the trolls though. Was saying in general. Thank you for the love dear (sic)’. Though, one wonders why someone would make such a statement ‘in general’.

While memes can become your claim to fame, they also hit where it hurts the most. Do film stars have the liberty to get offended by memes? Trade analyst Taran Adarsh keeps it real: “I always say, if you can’t face the heat, don’t enter the kitchen. As an actor, you could be treated to brickbats or bouquets; either way, it has to be taken in stride. It is part and parcel of the game and no one can escape it.”

Talking about how she responds to memes, actress Adah Sharma, who has been the subject of quite a few memes, says, “I take them with a pinch of salt. Memes are meant for fun and entertainment and it’s good to laugh at yourself sometimes.” When asked if she thought offensive memes could negatively impact a film star’s popularity, Adah says, “I don’t think so. If you’re good at your work, nothing can take your fame away.”

Sometimes, more than film stars, it is the fans that seem to get offended. Comedian Sorabh Pant talks from experience when he says, “I have made jokes on actors who have later on praised my sense of humour, while the fans of the actor have trolled me for my jokes.”

But it is this response, whether positive or negative, that creates the much-required buzz around an actor or movie. And hence, the meme culture can play an instrumental role in the publicity of a film. Bollywood film expert Omar Qureshi says, “While memes are irreverent, they indirectly elevate or glorify the person or film. So, while you are having fun, you are subliminally promoting the film. The movie Infinity War utilised memes beautifully for publicity. A clever director can plant memes, he can make positive memes around a film to create a buzz.” When asked if he thought publicity through memes could have a tangible impact on the box office collections, Taran says, “Yes, I think they can.

After all, memes help create curiosity around a film and become a sort of marketing strategy. This could positively or negatively impact a film at the box office.” The trade analyst, however, feels differently. “Memes can help create curiosity around a film. But where the box office is concerned I feel it is the contet that does the talking. Content has to be the king,” he says.

Whether you find memes offensive or not, the fact is that they are here to stay. In fact, our nation’s meme game is only getting stronger. As Comedian Karan Talwar says, “We’ve got our own formats; Modi-Rahul memes, cricket memes, and Bollywood memes. These topics are quintessentially Indian, and we’re pretty good at making memes around them.” So, instead of crying foul, it’s better one jumps on to the meme bandwagon, as Daisy’s co-stars Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez seem to have done.

Dialogues that were as famous as they were foolish
“Zindagi mein teen cheezein kabhi underestimate nahi karna, I, me and myself” — Ready
Mera naam hai bulla, rakhta hoon khulla — Gunda
Mujh par ek ehsaan karna, ke mujh par koi ehsaan na karna — Wanted
Thappad se darr nahi lagta sahab pyar se lagta hai — Dabangg
Har Diwali bonus nahi hota,  har pimple pus nahi hota, aur har cross Star Plus nahi hota – Golmaal Again
Pehle line mein honesty, doosre line mein molesty — Judwaa 2