10 March,2026 01:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Akshay Kumar
When nostalgia meets perfect comic timing, the internet tends to lose its mind. That's exactly what happened when Akshay Kumar revived one of Bollywood's most random yet beloved meme lines - "Hi Rupa, naha liya?" during a recent episode of Wheel of Fortune India.
The iconic line originally comes from the 2006 comedy Bhagam Bhag, directed by Priyadarshan, where Akshay's character blurts it out mid-chaos. At the time, it was just another absurd gag in line with the film's frantic humour. But years later, the line took on a life of its own online, becoming a staple reaction meme across WhatsApp groups, Instagram reels and GIF keyboards.
On the game show stage, the actor surprised the audience by launching into a playful musical riff built around the now-famous phrase. The quirky track had the studio audience erupting in cheers. As soon as the words "Hi Rupa, naha liya?" landed, the crowd instantly recognised the reference and responded with the kind of gleeful chaos only an Akshay Kumar meme can trigger.
Fans in the studio started celebrating the fact that Akshay himself was revisiting the joke that the internet has kept alive for years. There is a loyal following of Akshay Kumar's comic legacy. His early-2000s run of ensemble comedies, including films like Phir Hera Pheri, Welcome, and Bhagam Bhag, has become one of the richest sources of Indian meme culture and happy movies for the internet generation.
By revisiting this on national television, Akshay acknowledged what the internet's hat tip towards him.
And judging by the crowd's reaction, the meme still lands exactly the way it did the first time, Akshay Kumar style!
Summing up the essence of married life with a heartfelt yet humorous observation, Akshay says, "Lekin kamaal hai yaar, biwi ghar par aati hai, sab kuch badal jaata hai. Aadmi jo istemaal karta tha aur kya istemaal karne lag jaata hai. Kya khata tha, phir ek settlement aa jaati hai." (But it's amazing, yaar. When a wife comes into the house, everything changes. The things a man used to use change, and the things he starts using change too. What he used to eat changes as well, a kind of settlement comes into life)
He added, "Ghar mein apne aap achha khana banna shuru ho jaata hai. Biwi ke aane se⦠wakai mai jab kehte hai ki Lakshmi aati hai gharme, wo sahi kehte ki hai ki jab biwi aati hai tab Lakshmi aati hai." (Good food automatically starts being cooked at home. When a wife comes⦠people truly say that Goddess Lakshmi enters the house, and they are right. When a wife comes into the home, Lakshmi comes with her)
