Indian Classical Art Memes to Make You Laugh

India is a nation deeply rooted in rich culture from its extravagant architecture to its finest fabrics and ultimately its hilarious Indian classical art memes.

Indian art ranges from stunning paintings to murals depicting scenes of mythology and history.

Some of the renowned names in Indian art include Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), S. H. Raza (1922-2016), Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) and Nandalal Bose (1882-1966) to name a few.

Over time, Indian classical artwork has been reworked with a funny twist taking great pieces of art and turning them into unforgettable memes.

Witty individuals have added often sarcastic lines that have the reader in fits of laughter.

We explore Indian classical art memes worth a look.

Mohini meets Miley Cyrus

I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL pic.twitter.com/JK0L0cEFe2

— MedievalReactionsIN (@MedievalRxnsIN) April 19, 2015

Renowned painter, Raja Ravi Varma is known as one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art.

His artwork combined Indian sensibility with European techniques. His fusion art has been celebrated for generations.

In this instance, his popular art piece, ‘Mohini’ or ‘The Temptress’ has been hilariously linked to American singer, Miley Cyrus.

Mohini is the epitome of allure and wonder and is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu.

According to mythology, Mohini entraps lover to fall deeply in love with her which leads to their inevitable doom.

She is also known to have destroyed numerous demons throughout Hindu texts.

Varma’s Mohini which was created in the early 20th century is a part of his oleograph collection.

Also known as chromolithographs, oleographs rely on using various woodblocks or stones with colours for printing.

This technique required the finest tools and the most skilled artist like Raja Ravi Varma.

This amazing piece of artwork shows Mohini swinging on a swing in a white saree with a gold border. The caption reads:

“I came in like a wrecking ball.”

This refers to American singer, Miley Cyrus’ hit song ‘Wrecking Ball’ (2013). In the video, Miley swings on a large ball similar to Mohini in the painting.

Mughal Meme

This hand-painted Mughal period painting is a beautiful depiction of the beauty of this time.

This particular style of South Asian art of the 16th to 18th centuries was traditionally in the form of miniatures kept either as book illustrations or in albums.

Here, a Mughal Emperor is seen in his chamber in the Mughal courts accompanied by his princess.

The grandeur of the pair is evident with the exceptional attention to detail. The emperor is decked with extravagant jewels like his princess.

These include headpieces, necklaces and earrings sported by the couple.

However, this priceless piece of Indian classical art has been presented with an amusing anecdote in relation to food. The narrative reads:

Princess: “jaan do you smell biryani.”

Mughal Emperor: “what? no.”

Princess: “me neither. start cooking.”

Biryani is one of the most loved rice dishes in South Asia. It is particularly enjoyed in Pakistan and India.

Traditionally, the woman would be expected to cook, however, the twist of the woman commanding the man to cook would amuse many people.

Twitter

When you single af and your soulmate is twitter pic.twitter.com/jgiZQTPZws

— MedievalReactionsIN (@MedievalRxnsIN) May 5, 2016

Another hilarious Indian classical art meme by MedievalReactionsIN is this one featuring a wealthy woman and a bird.

MedievalReactionsIN involves five curators who use their account to showcase Indian artwork to express the awkwardness of life.

The art piece shows the woman lounging as she is decked with stunning jewellery. She is gazing at the bird she holds in her hand.

The bird appears almost submissive to the woman as it slightly bows its head. The caption reads:

“When you single af and your soulmate is twitter.”

Here, the bird is likened to the popular social media site, Twitter which features a bird as its logo.

The Indian classical art meme encapsulates the idea of being single in particular for women.

As a result of this, it is perceived that a woman’s companion is her social media account.

Sholay

Basanti in kutton ke saamne mat nachna pic.twitter.com/MJumgVKFr6

— MedievalReactionsIN (@MedievalRxnsIN) March 6, 2016

Up next, we have another witty meme from MedievalReactionsIN on Twitter. This social media account never fails to make its followers laugh.

This form of Indian classical art portrays a Hindu deity battling a ferocious beast in the form of a sculpture.

There is no doubt the artist did a phenomenal job at depicting the tale of bravery.

However, MedievalReactionsIN has once again turned a precious piece of Indian classical art into a comical meme. It reads:

“Basanti in kutton ke saamne mat nachna.”

There is no second-guessing what this Indian classical art meme could mean. The caption is, in fact, the unforgettable dialogue taken from the 1975 cult classic Bollywood film, Sholay.

The action-adventure film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra as Jai and Veeru respectively.

This famous dialogue is spoken by Dharmendra to his love interest Basanti played by actress Hema Malini.

She is forced to dance to save her beloved Dharmendra in the song, ‘Haan Jab Tak Hai Jaan.’

Speaking about the same in her biography, ‘Hema Malini: The Authorised Biography’ (2007), Hema said:

“I had to dance on an uneven slope. My feet were bruised with corns and took weeks to heal.

“After every ‘take’, I would run to wear my morjris and remove them a minute before the camera rolled.”

In the scene, Dharmendra shouts out the dialogue as he cannot bear to see his darling in pain.

It is no wonder, MedievalReactionsIN chose the renowned dialogue to match the Indian classical art.

One-Night Stand

A one-night stand. Are they a joking matter? It appears so with his Indian classical art meme.

A one-night stand is defined as a one-off sexual encounter between two willing participants.

In this instance, after their moment of sexual intercourse, the pair shall not be involved in further relations or any form of emotional commitment.

Countless individuals have been involved in one-night stands over time. Hence, it is no surprise that endless memes have been created to highlight this.

However, what may surprise you is that an Indian classical art piece has been used to depict a one-night stand.

Here, the man is seen getting up as he looks back at the lady sleeping. The meme reads:

“Sneaking out after a one-night stand …”

Does seeing history in this light make you think that the people then were not much different to the people of recent times?

These five Indian classical art memes perfectly encapsulate contemporary commentary relatable to a wide range of readers. They are the right balance of wit and comedy.

Who says classical art cannot be funny? These memes certainly prove otherwise.