Bollywood hunk Akshay Kumar revived one of his most random yet beloved meme lines - “Hi Rupa, naha liya?” during a recent episode of his reality game show "Wheel of Fortune India". For those who do not remember, this iconic line belongs to the 2006 laughter ride "Bhagam Bhag".
At the time, it was just another absurd gag in line in Priyadarshan's directorial. However, as the years passed, the dialogue turned into a staple reaction meme across social media. Now, almost two decades after the release of "Bhagam Bhag", Akshay decided to revive the line during his latest gig as a host on the game show. "Wheel of Fortune India".
In the latest episode, Akshay surprised the audience by launching into a playful musical riff revolving around the now-famous phrase. As soon as the words “Hi Rupa, naha liya?” landed, the crowd instantly recognised the reference and responded with a gleeful chaos.
For many in the audience, it was a full-circle moment - a throwaway line from a mid-2000s comedy suddenly being reclaimed by the actor, who delivered it. The crowd’s reaction further goes to show that the meme still lands exactly the way it did the first time when Akshay said those words in "Bhagam Bhag".
Talking about the movie, helmed by Priyadarshan and written by Neeraj Vora, the comedy drama boasts an ensemble cast with Akshay, Govinda, and Paresh Rawal as the leads, along with Lara Dutta, Rajpal Yadav, Jackie Shroff, Arbaaz Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Manoj Joshi, Razak Khan, and Asrani as the supporting cast.
The film revolves around a theatre group that travels to London for a show and looks for a heroine to perform their play. However, during their search for their leading lady, they end up getting mixed up in a murder mystery they did not commit, at the same time, becoming enemies of a drug cartel and a street gang.