Shah Rukh Khan’s recently ‘Hakla’ meme went viral. The efforts to remove the meme by SRK’s team in turn led to attracting more attention. Hence proving that efforts to erase controversy from internet only makes it louder.
Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic stammer in “K-K-K-K-Kiran…” from a ‘90s film remains influential. It continues to define the stardom of Bollywood’s fan-anointed king more than three decades later. August, a month dominated by SRK, with his maiden National Award and the grand preview of his son’s directorial debut The Ba***ds of bollywood— it was this throwback detail that unexpectedly had shaken the internet.
The Hakla meme of Shah Rukh Khan have been dubbed into very odd wild face and unruly hairstyle. Some found the meme hilarious while others derogatory. You all must have seen the meme as it went viral across. Most agree that it revives a frame from a parody video. This video mocked SRK’s obsessive lover character in Darr (1993).
The steps that followed were noted by netizens. SRK’s team tried to remove the bizarre meme posted in the comments by a netizen. These steps sparked off the meme much faster. The meme hit the screen much faster after attempts for its removal.
It’s a textbook case of the Streisand effect. American artist Barbra Streisand tried to stop the publication of photographs of her Malibu mansion. She unintentionally attracted more attention to the images. Her attempt at suppression highlighted the relatively obscure photographs. And this was back in 2005. Nearly two decades later, with the Internet added to the equation, the effect has only magnified.
Origin of SRK’ Stammer
The SRK’s stammer seen in the film scene of Darr was a deliberate attempt, not a mistake. This was done to make the character Rahul Mehra’s obsession towards his love Kiren real.
“We made him aware of the woman he loves most with the stammer.” SRK remarked for his performance. The stammer was inspired by SRK’s classmate with special emphasis on the name Kiren only, as k..k..k..k..kiren.
SRK himself have revealed this in his docuseries – The Romantics, that his stammer was purposeful. This tiny nuance went on to become a classic staple in SRK mimicries for the years to come.
Its recent memefication followed a predictable script. Creators spotted a template. Casual users wanted to look ‘dank’ for their friends. Audiences bond over shared jokes.
Clinical psychologist Gunjan Ryder calls this social function “glue”. She explained, “By circulating memes, people form instant bonds over gossip, shared laughter, or criticism, creating higher interest value.”
The Streisand Effect
When a social media user posted that meme in the comments, SRK’s team tried to hide it. They removed it by replacing it with a string of dots. This consequently gave it a thrust to spread on other platforms.
A clinical psychologist, Pulkit Sharma went ahead in explaining the phenomena by remarking that Secrecy sparks speculation.
“Whenever we see something hidden or deviant, it automatically draws focus.
People either idolise it or strongly disapprove, and both reactions pull it further from reality,” he said. This emphasizes that attempts by celebrities to hide something will only increase people’s suspicion.
the more a celebrity tries to hide their cosmetic surgery, the more it will make people laugh harder. A clumsy promo for a film leads to faster sharing and the formation and spreading of memes. Celebrities have already understood the tactics.
This is not the first in Bollywood
In 1999, Kajol intentionally provided the wrong address for her wedding to journalists. She knew this would only spark curiosity among them to find the real venue of her wedding.
Consider a half clip from Half Girlfriend’s promotional video. It is dated at least eight years back. This clip has gone viral in recent times. It shows Arjun Kapoor giving a “badmosh” stare, paired with a Haryanvi banger. Kapoor’s team chose to disable comments, and the viral share ended up gaining more traction.
It might have been interesting to see his team double down on this trend. Unlike SRK, who has publicly spoken against mimicries of his stammering, Kapoor could have used it as an opportunity. This opportunity could have helped him to grow his brand. Imagine how funny it would have been. He recreates the meme and stands right there with a mic. He looks straight into our eyes and gives that stare.
Recent Hakla memes give celebs one takeaway. They should understand that the more they try to hide something under the carpet, the more people will want to lift it.
For all latest updates Follow theviralmail on X, Facebook, and Instagram
