Why ‘Kesariya’ From ‘Brahmastra’ has Triggered a Meme Fest

It really is a breeze to ruffle feathers online, isn’t it? The latest controversy is the inclusion of the English words ‘love storiyan’ in the otherwise chust Hindi lyrics for “Kesariya,” the first song to be released from Brahmastra, the upcoming Bollywood blockbuster starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. Notice how the English words have been Hindified, and yet, it has triggered a meme fest, with netizens – especially those on Twitter – comparing it to being as out of place as a mislaid brick in a pavement or a piece of elaichi in biryani. Not that Amitabh Bhattacharya, the lyricist, should be complaining, because the controversy has helped the track break the record for the most daily streams on Spotify India within just two days of its release (it has a staggering 25,509,681 hits at the time of writing). It justifies the old adage that ‘any publicity is good publicity.’ And while some people have praised the song as “pure magic,” others seem to have lined up outside a meme factory with their witty takedown of the track.

Here are some of the best ones.