Actor and director Basil Joseph found himself at the centre of a storm on social media after an incident during the closing ceremony of the Super League football final in Kozhikode. While handing over a handshake to one of the players, Basil’s gesture went unnoticed, with actor Prithviraj, who was nearby, subsequently giving the player a handshake instead. This sequence of events sparked a wave of trolling on social media.
The incident, which quickly went viral, led to a slew of memes featuring Basil Joseph, with several of them drawing comparisons to the 1990 film Akkare Akkare Akkare starring Sreenivasan and Mohanlal. The online reactions drew parallels between this incident and an earlier episode involving actor Tovino Thomas, which also became the subject of memes and laughter.
In that earlier incident, during the puja ceremony of a film, Tovino was ignored by the priest, who mistakenly bypassed him. Basil Joseph, who was present at the time, was seen laughing heartily at the moment. Social media users were quick to link that incident with the latest one, trolling Basil in a similar manner.
Despite the trolling, Basil responded with humour. As the brand ambassador for the Kerala-based football team, Calicut FC, he celebrated the team's victory in the final match with a lighthearted Instagram post. Sharing images of both the match and the victorious team, Basil wrote: "Didn't get the handshake, but got the cup, guys," in a playful response to the ongoing trolling.
Notably, Basil tagged his friends and fellow actors, Tovino Thomas and Sanju Samson, in the post. Tovino responded to the post with a comment: "Congratulations," which garnered over 11,000 likes. Some users remarked that this comment was not what they had anticipated, sparking further interaction in the comment section.
Basil, known for his wit and charm, continues to maintain his popularity with fans and colleagues alike, showing resilience in the face of online humour.
Published: 13 Nov 2024, 07:23 am IST
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