NEW DELHI: It’s Tuesday. India’s 66th Republic Day has been celebrated and the capital city is returning to normalcy as United States President Barack Obama, having cut his trip short, departs for Saudi Arabia.
The Citizen has been covering Obama’s visit, read here and here for more. This article, however, will focus on the budding bromance between the US President and the Indian Prime Minister. Tight hugs, fancy headgears, clothing that impresses, pet peeves and jealous significant others all prove that Mobama is a force to reckon with!
1. The embrace.
Obama became the first US President to be chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade, and spent a longer time in open air than he has ever done (45 entire minutes). These firsts, along with the tight embraces, have cemented an equation deserving of its own celebrity name: Mobama (move over Brangelina).
Here is Mobama in pictures:
The Twitterati are buzzing with comments on this budding bromance:
2. The Headgear
As they say in the Animal Kingdom, markings have a direct impact on attractiveness to a potential mate. Human bromances work no differently.
PM Modi, especially, is known for his headgear. Remember these?:
And this?
On R-Day, PM Modi did not disappoint, donning a tri-colour turban and shades (take that, fog!)
However, PM Modi was given stiff competition by a competing Indian.
3. Dress to impress.
It’s not just about the headgear. The suit worn by PM Modi whilst he was receiving Obama at the presidential palace on Sunday has caught everyone’s eye. The yellow stripes against the navy blue do not appear out of the ordinary at first glance. The stripes however are not stripes; they are Modi’s name embroidered into the fabric. “Narendra Damodardas Modi” the suit says, thousands of times over. (PS: A similar name-embroidered suit was earlier worn by Hosni Mubarak).
Fashionable or OTT? The Twitterati are divided:
4. Oops, he chewed again
… He played with his heart. President Obama is known to chew gum, and his presence in India was no exception, with Obama spotted working his jaws at the R-Day parade.
Although we cannot ascertain PM Modi’s reaction to Obama’s gum-chewing habits, the Twitterati were not pleased.
5. The jealous significant others
It ain’t a bromance without some jealousy thrown in. Michelle O had to stand by and watch this:
Whilst thinking of this:
Michelle Obama had another reason to be jealous. Whilst her floral dress and matching coat by New York-based Indian designer Bibhu Mohapatra made waves, it was soon overshadowed by PM Modi’s wardrobe decisions.
On the Indian side, there was someone else equally perturbed.