From Left to Right: Travis Scott// Courtesy of BookMyShow Live, Balajitelefilmslimited//Instagram
October ended in the blink of an eye, but it felt more like the eyes were kept wide open in one crazy, lucid dream. They don’t call it a cannon arc for no reason. While you were doomscrolling, the partly aggravating, partly catchy meme ‘6 7,’ a gestural phrase that got popularized due to Skrilla’s 2024 track “Doot-Doot”, was crowned Word of the Year by Dictionary.com. What the hell? Sure.
This month was all about honoring one’s whimsy, so much so that people were celebrating a good ol’ fashioned heist, thanks to jewelry-stealing thieves at the Louvre. The seismic shifts didn’t stop there. Through a letter, revolutionary heartthrob Luigi Mangione opened up about finally listening to artists like Taylor Swift and Charli XCX, before his inmate replaced all the music with Lil Durk songs. Well, a win is a win. Meanwhile, Britain’s pop culture icons were on side quests of their own. While Lily Allen exposed all of David Harbour’s infidelities on West Side Girl, British YouTubers Dan & Phil finally confirmed their relationship, leaving the pop culture landscape aghast.
In the spirit of celebrating the internet’s unfailing unhingedness, saddle up, as we chronicle them in this month’s Rodeo.
Travis Scott’s “FE!N” Kirtan Remix
Travis Scott’s highly anticipated concert in New Delhi had the country in a chokehold. From ticket resellers scrambling to the most random B-plot characters like Abhinav Arora, a 10-year-old spiritual content creator, attending the concert, the double-takes never stopped. Consequently, an unmissable barrage of memes flooded people’s timelines. An honorary mention, however, must go to this relic: A group of Indian women performing Scott’s high-octane crowd-favorite “FE!N” at a kirtan. Armed with a dholak and a vision, they probably deserve a whole lot of aura points for putting the wildest mosh pits to shame.
Shaq In His ‘Punjabi Munda’ Arc
Get in line, Ed Sheeran, there’s a new Aadhar card contender in town. American Basketball player and actor Shaquille O’Neal was seen showing off his innate lip-syncing skills as a run-down version of Punjabi MC’s “Mundian Toh Bach Ke” played in the background. We were not familiar with your game, Shaq paaji.
Bill Gates And Tulsi Vibe It Out
Yes, you’re the first in your bloodline to read this title. Former Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates made a guest appearance on Ekta Kapoor’s Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2. This also marked his debut on a Hindi TV serial. The promo had him warmly greeting “Jai Shree Krishna” as Tulsi conversed with him via a video call (and on an Apple Mac, no less). First Lee Jung Jae and Shah Rukh Khan, and now this? This year’s overarching theme is definitely the multiverse of madness.
Robert Pattinson Is Reportedly Pivoting To Music
In true multi-hyphenate fashion, the Twilight actor has seemingly registered seven songs with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). As of now, Pattinson has submitted six songs. However, this is not the first time he has ventured into music. Tracks from the Twilight soundtrack, such as “Never Think” and “Let Me Sign,” which especially garnered a lot of fanfare, were both performed by the British actor.
The Mahabharata gets an AI spin
Since no one can seem to resist jamming AI into every crevice of content, we’re now also getting an AI mythological drama. Collective Network is set to release Mahabharta-Ek Dharamyudh, the world’s first AI-led microdrama of the Indian mythological epic, positioned for Gen Z consumption. Part of the “Historyverse” initiative, the project will be executed under Galleri5, Collective Network’s AI-powered studio that will be used for this modern, animated adaptation. Studio. In the same capacity, a thread on X, which read: “Tweet like you’re in the Mahabharata, go!” got some chuckle-worthy responses. While the novelty of seeing AI reimagine a classic might draw curiosity clicks, it also raises the question: are we enriching storytelling or just automating it for virality?
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