NEW DELHI, Nov 10: As Delhi gasps for breath under a thick layer of smog, its residents are finding solace in humour — and satire is becoming their oxygen. From “Superman on life support” memes to a wedding reel featuring a couple romancing in oxygen masks, social media is turning Delhi’s pollution nightmare into a canvas for dark comedy.
A viral video making rounds on Instagram shows a bride and groom performing wedding rituals while wearing oxygen masks. Instead of flowers, the groom tosses medicine strips toward the bride, while oxygen cylinders line the background like silent wedding guests. The video ends with the couple posing hand-in-hand — masks on — as a cheeky caption reads: “In Delhi, even love needs life support.”
Another widely shared meme shows Superman lying in a hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask, with the caption: “Superman after flying through Delhi’s air for 10 minutes.”
Social media users are also remixing old Bollywood classics to make a point. A reel playing “Yeh Dilli Hai Mere Yaar” from Delhi-6 carries the punchline: “Delhi mein itna pollution hai ki log pooch rahe hain, ‘Tu jaanta hai mera baap kahan hai?’” — a sardonic twist on Delhi’s notorious street phrase.
“Ab ki baar, 1000 AQI paar,” reads another viral post, parodying the political slogan as pollution levels hit the “severe” mark this week.
The memes reflect both exasperation and adaptation as residents navigate air quality readings that routinely exceed 400 AQI — a level considered hazardous. According to CPCB data, Delhi’s air quality has remained “very poor” since Diwali, forcing schools to shut and emergency measures to be extended.
