Pawrriii… aka Party
The word with an exaggeratedly rolled American R became a meme and showed us how having an accent has gone from elite to funny
Our Social Media Star of the Week is the word pawri, which Pakistani content creator, Dananeer Mobin, 19, explains is an imitation of the way influencers put on an accent while uploading content online – an added layer after the filters.
So, when the teen points her front camera to the car and group of friends, saying, “Yeh humarrri car hai, yeh hum hain, aur yeh humari pawrrri ho rahi hai.” (This is my car, these are my friends, and this is our party), calling out meme-makers, it’s no wonder that even celebs like Randeep Hooda and Deepika Padukone joined the #pawrihorahihai video and meme brigade, besides a mash-up by musician and producer Yashraj Mukhate!
The 25-year-old engineer-musician from Aurangabad came across the video trending in Pakistan, created his own version and uploaded it within hours, garnering 2 million views on YouTube and a million on Instagram in 24 hours.
“First I thought it was a random video. But then I realised she did it on purpose. I have friends who put on accents while posting on social media,” explains Yashraj.
Let’s not forget even Salman Khan wasn’t spared for his ‘elite’ accent before the days of Instagram. Similarly, when Russell Peters surfaced back in the 2000s, his version of the ‘typical desi’ accent went viral among Indians globally. “Fake accents may have been considered elite at some point, but they are mocked today because it’s usually put on,” the musician adds.
We may say who cares if someone goes to Canada for two months and returns with an accent! But being able to escape to Canada for a holiday would be the best thing, no? Of course, shooting our own pawri video.
Who should be the next HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The Week? Nominate using the hashtag #BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW or email htbrunch@hindustantimes.com