Monday, May 20

“Nickwa! Ae Tommy! Jhandeya!”: How Indian Paps Deal With Celebrities

Edited by Aishwarya Krishnan
“Nickwa! Ae Tommy! Jhandeya!”: How Indian Paps Deal With Celebrities

When all eyes were turned towards the iconic collision of Bollywood royalty and internationals stars for the grand Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) event to present a night of jaw-dropping fashion while India secured its place in the world of glitz and glamour, an unlikely contender ended up stealing the limelight. Armed with cameras, dash of desi charm, and shouts of “Ghighi ikde (look here, in marathi)” and “Tom homecoming”, the Indian paparazzi have mastered the art of celebrity interaction, one endearing nickname at a time.

Baptised as “nickwa”, the Indian paps embraced the husband of desi girl Priyanka Chopra Jonas and made singer Nick Jonas, the “jiju” of the country. Another popular clip shows Nick Jonas leaving his wife for her solo photoshoot when our paps make a remarkable observation, “Jijaji sharma gaye”.

Forget the stiff suits and serious faces, Indian paparazzi prefer to keep it casual and comedic so much so that they did not leave Spider-man either. Be it the screams and moans of “ToOooOOom” outside the airport or “makdi man” or the now-iconic “aye tommyy”, the desi paps could not get enough of Tom Holland. Speaking of, it would be impossible to forget the instant classic “Jhandeyaaa”. Perhaps because the syllable does not exist in Marathi, the Emmy-winner Zendaya also received her own personalised moniker from us. However, international model Gigi Hadid did get her name corrected by a fellow pap as his voice stood out saying, “Jiji be, not Ghighi”.

And yet, more fun was added when a photographer fondly called on Ananya Pandey to look his side, “Anu here”. Immediately, hooting sounds of “Oooohhoo” resounded among the pap crowd, leaving Pandey blushing. The NMACC event proved that it’s not just a red carpet; it’s a comedy club with flashbulbs.

As the video of these hilarious shenanigans made its way onto social media, it was met with a tidal wave of laughter and appreciation. Memes depicting “Nickwa” and “Tommy” as the newest Bollywood sensations flooded timelines, while hashtags celebrating “Gege ikde” and “Jhandeyaaa” trended faster than anything.


On the other hand, a debate on the “uncivil” and “disgraceful” behaviour of Indian media was also noted and criticised. Some netizens wondered what the international celebrities would think of the country and its honour with paps screaming “Gigi didi ikde ikde” to the supermodel. Paparazzi, Indian or otherwise, are same everywhere.

At the core of the Indian paparazzi phenomenon lies a refreshing departure from the traditional red-carpet formalities. The desi paps are the spice that adds flavour to celebrity encounters. And anyway, who needs scripted reality TV when you have the unscripted hilarity of Indian paparazzi with its desi charm?