By Avik Chattopadhyay
We made it. Once again. The Indian “Space Programme”, since it kicked off with the setting up of INCOSPAR [now ISRO] under Dr Vikram Sarabhai in 1962, has been one of the best ambassadors of Brand India. It has embodied the true Indian spirit of inquiry, ingenuity and innovation. The age-old scientific temper of one of the world’s oldest civilisations comes alive not merely in the number of engineers and doctors that go abroad to work but in those that consciously choose to stay back to create institutions and ecosystems which are global benchmarks. As someone quipped in a WhatsApp group, “The Chandrayaan 3 mission cost less than the budget to make the movie Aadipurush”.
While a large part of the nation was glued to the news updates for 30 full minutes, what I find fascinating is the genres and variety of memes and messages that took off as soon as Mr Somnath announced: “India is on the moon.”
This piece is about the unique ecosystem of communication that is created around key milestones, good or bad. The fact that the memes I share here landed on my phone within minutes of the milestone show that there are hundreds amongst us who have invested time in preparing them well in advance, both as individuals as well as organisations or corporates.
I picked 17 specific memes from the close to a hundred I received across groups and individual contacts. The different levels of creativity are a wonderful sight to behold for they stand for the sentiment of the people at large. They can be classified as [a] celebratory, [b] topical and [c] corporate.
The celebratory ones I share here range from the typical play of words to expected images to the excellent use of humour in the one on the right, shared below..
Then we have the topical memes. With Raksha Bandhan coming up on the 30th of this month, there had to be one on that theme which was one of the more popular ones doing the rounds. Going by our obsession with Pakistan, there had to be one with a jibe at our neighbours too. It was however pleasant to learn of many from across the border wishing the mission all the very best on social media. I found the one about Pakistan very subtle as if implying that there is always a part of India in Pakistan.
There are two memes which I loved. Not to be understood by most but those that did, enjoyed both of them. One was with Pink Floyd’s iconic music album “The Dark Side of the Moon”. Given that Vikram landed on the southern and dark side of the moon lent itself to this meme. Given it happens to be the album’s 50th anniversary, there could not been a better coincidental tribute, especially for a fan like me. And then there was this wickedly corny take on Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s character in “Sacred Games”. Both deserve to be archived.
Then we have the corporates who wanted to encash on this achievement and show solidarity with the mission.
The one by Amaron was ‘cute’ while the one by KFC was surely over the top but does bring a smile, something more apt in an issue of Mad.
Then there were posts by the e-commerce guys which were absolutely pedestrian and so predictable. If you do not have a really powerful thought, you might as well not communicate. But the fear of not being seen doing something on such a momentous occasion gets the better of you. When the Chandrayaan had taken off, Ixigo had come up with a brilliant little film which spread like wild fire [maybe not the most appropriate term to use right now].
Here is the YouTube link to the simply loveable Ixigo video.
And then there was this really esoteric one by Lexus. Obviously, it is the moonscape of the future with a Lexus branded building and a launchpad…hopefully. I really did not get it. Hope the Lexus owners have.
How can corporates messaging be discussed without sharing what Amul did. True to its DNA, it came up with yet another little masterpiece using their unmatched play with words. Very correctly, the true taste of India and the occasion.
My last two mentions span from the ridiculous to the sublime. The former is a meme created by one Mr Krishanshu Garg about the supposed permanent imprint the Pragyan rover has left on the moon’s surface. Much before landing happened. Yet people, in the sheer enthusiasm and enormity of the situation, shared this as yet another “moment of pride”. Tells you that creativity can go seriously overboard at times.
I finish with the one I would preserve as the image I would retain for life if asked to choose just one. Created by The Minimalist, it is indeed simple and sublime. Possibly the best tribute to all our fellow citizens who have given us this rare moment of celebration and pride! Jai Hind.
