About the project
The Meme Project is an online, transmedia project created by the Godrej India Culture Lab Leadership Programme batch of 2020. Informed by various disciplines that the seven fellows practice and train under – culture studies, literature, mass media, design, and applied art, this project attempts to trace the origins, transmission, transformation and dissipation (if any) of memetic threads that are interwoven into the fabric of what and how we understand cultures. In both academic as well as not normatively academic ways, this project is an attempt to satiate and demystify the curiosities around memes, meme-making, and meaning makings by deconstructing and reconstructing the methods behind this “viral” trend.
The meme team
Meet our Leadership Programme batch of 2020 – the Fellows have worked on The Meme Project this year, so check out the aptly themed introduction!
Aditya Talpade
COLLEGE:
Rachana Sansad College of Applied Art
KNOWN FOR:
His uncontrollable hyperactivity
When not debating his way to the chief otaku-in-charge status with Isha or fanboying over comic books, Aditya insists on being known by his street name FP2 while he’s the textbook definition of a good boy out of Ghibli Studios Movies. His uber enthusiastic brain comes up with most random but amazing suggestions and trying to work around a solution in the most creative and fun ways possible because-“If it isn’t fun, its worthless” -Aditya Talpade,2020
BEST WAY TO YOUR HEART?
Red chocos, or anime, or comics, or memes or cartoons or …
IN A NUTSHELL
Snickers dipped in Monster Energy Drink
WHAT MEME ARE YOU?
To be continued meme (Jojo’s bizarre adventure)
Social Links
Ambika Lambah
COLLEGE:
Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture
KNOWN FOR:
That one Kim Jong-un mask
Nobody pulls off positive pessimism better than Ambika. Always the first to do anything following her main motto- “If you do it first, you will have no time for any pressure”
Poetically, an advocate for procrastination, she knows how to get work done in time
BEST WAY TO YOUR HEART?
A knife
IN A NUTSHELL
Heer toh badi sad hai remix
WHAT MEME ARE YOU?:
Guess ill die memes
Social Links
Isha Sanekar
COLLEGE:
Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art
KNOWN FOR:
Being high all the time without ever touching drugs
Always in blah blah mode, Isha’s infectious enthusiasm always gets you going. Constantly debating her weeb intellect with FP2, her fierce ‘to do’ attitude keeps things dynamic in the Programme. Always vocal and super frank, she never backs down from letting you know just what she thinks of you, nothing less, nothing more.
BEST WAY TO YOUR HEART?
Trying to figure out
IN A NUTSHELL
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
WHAT MEME ARE YOU?:
Maro mujhe maro meme
Social Links
Kshiti Vikas
COLLEGE:
St. Xaviers College Autonomous
KNOWN FOR:
All things desi
Always clear in the face of any adversity, Kshiti never backs down from helping a fellow labbie whether it be work or anything more. A moderator, despite her sweet demeanor and love for white roses and multicoloured pens, she can be quite methodical and is able to keep track of a difficult situation quite easily. Don’t fear asking her about intersectionality, as much as using problematic terms loosely. She’ll explain without hesitation.
BEST WAY TO YOUR HEART?
Postcards/lyrics of a ghazal or an old hindi song.
IN A NUTSHELL
Desi Blue power ranger
WHAT MEME ARE YOU?:
Irrfan Drake parody memes
Social Links
Laxmi Krishnan
COLLEGE:
Department of ENGLISH, SNDT Women’s university
KNOWN FOR:
Her versatile vocabulary
A textbook overachiever who gets along with everyone. Logical and sociable, she will be the responsible adult viciously guarding all her fellow labbies. The perfect person for long drawn out conversations,if you can keep up with her rapidly changing languages mid conversation. Reliable and usually the first person you’d look to to get things done properly
BEST WAY TO YOUR HEART?
Books and a strong cup of tea or a frangipani flower
IN A NUTSHELL
An afternoon full of conversations
WHAT MEME ARE YOU?:
Confused math lady meme
Social Links
Prateek Gupta
COLLEGE:
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
KNOWN FOR:
Talking in fast forward
Your go-to guy for the best dry sarcastic humour you’ll ever find. Often finding himself matching wits with Ambika and Laxmi, he is the perfect guy to simply chill with, his witty, on the nose remarks keep everything light hearted and fresh
IN A NUTSHELL
Poetic Fakir
WHAT MEME ARE YOU?:
Kermit drinking tea memes
Social Links
Rohan Bhide
COLLEGE:
V.G Vaze College Autonomous
KNOWN FOR:
All things Camera
A ditzy man of simple needs and even simpler wants, he’s always straight with what he has on his mind, either films or his dogs, ie. when he’s not busy being a geek with FP2. A sort of desi Scott Pilgrim, he is one guy you’ll regret not adding to your party.
BEST WAY TO YOUR HEART?
Good food
IN A NUTSHELL
Desi Dziga Vertov
WHAT MEME ARE YOU?:
Everyone joins the battle memes