Muah.. Pout… Smack…click! It’s selfie time!
To tell you the truth, anytime, anywhere is selfie time.
Walk into a restaurant, multiplex or even an office complex and you can see phones pop out of purses and pockets for that quick click.
Love it or hate it, the last few years have been, without a doubt, the selfie era. Whether you were posing with the stunning backdrop of the well lit New York skyline, within a million feet of SRK, or showing off your newly trimmed moustache or peroxide hair, everybody on your friend list (whether you knew them or not) needed to know what you were up to!
Selfies are so much a part of our lives, so when I heard the word “selfie” in a crowded mall, I instantly fluffed my hair, tilted my head, and put on my best smile. Only to realize it was not my group of folk, it was the crowd in front of me. Embarrassed, I gave them a side glance and hoped none of them noticed. Not that they gave a damn, they were too busy pouting and moistening their lips for that perfect shine.
It’s such a craze today, and if you’ve never taken a selfie, you are from Mars.
I understand the appeal of traffic stopping good looks. Just a few days ago, I saw two youngsters pose in the middle of bustling FC Road as drivers went berserk, traffic piled, while these PYT’s oblivious to the world outside their six inch smart phone screen, gave two hoots..
Carelessly careful, hair artfully disheveled, fish gape, duck lips, sparrow face, we’ve seen it all.
Sometimes you capture the Pout, and sometimes just the snout. Outstretched hand, magnified faces and more often than not, a glazed look are the ingredients of a self click. Behind every selfie you’ve seen online, you probably did not see the 15 that got edited.
Pic in a pic!
At a recent wedding I attended in Pune, while the guests were busy clicking themselves, the wedding photographer seemed content to photograph them in the process.
I have to admit, Loo selfies are the best. It’s acceptable to go batty with the self obsessive bug, but to go potty is another thing. Back in the day, restrooms were used for a leak, but today they are also used for a click. The lighting is perfect and the privacy is divine. Last week a group of girls in the ladies restroom at a fancy dig were cackling and euphoric with their click only to realize a moment later they had captured the open stall displaying a bright commode. After they were done with their horrific realization, I laughed along with them, “butted” in and told them in typical Puneri drawl to be a Commode-dating and go ahead and post that picture on social media!
It is interesting however to note the male angle on this. They smile, click, discuss the picture for a few seconds and go back to doing what they were doing.
A word of caution. Spare us the agony! Before you dive headlong into Selfieland, take a look around. Make sure your picture is devoid of spilling garbage cans or jaded underwear. We really do not want to know the inside story!
I call it a Narcissistick. Armed with her new selfie stick, my mallu friend Vidya is happy with her Zelfies and so is my cool cuz Rajeshree Kulkarni who takes Kulfies, (a Kulkarni selfie).
Smile said the pretty young girl to her friends sitting across us at the next table. As they posed, swished their peroxide hair, moistened their lips and gave the perfect smile, the young girl proceeded to take her own selfie instead! And post it on social media, before heading out leaving behind the tick tock sounds of her high heels.
Quintessentially Puneite, Nikhila now lives in New York, but that doesn't stop her from coming back to enjoy a good drink and celebrate this city she calls home
- Mere Paas Facebook Hai ! - February 24, 2017
- Of Pouts and Snouts - February 17, 2017
- Honey, I’ve got the money! - February 11, 2017
