The return to his native India of a fighter pilot shot down by Pakistan is being credited with easing tensions between the nations — but it’s the flyboy’s well-manicured mustache that’s gone viral.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was cheered after being handed over to Indian officials last Friday. And since then, his elaborate stache has been copied and branded a sign of bravery, the BBC reported.
Amul, an Indian dairy brand that creates advertisements based on social trends, tweeted a video celebrating the “Abhinandan” stache.
The ad declares: “Mooch nahin, toh kuch Nihau," or, "without a mustache, you don't have anything,” CNN reported.
Other men across the country then shared pictures of themselves sporting a similarly styled mustache.
The BBC reported a hair salon in Bangalore even is offering free hair cuts and mustache trimming to anyone wanting the "Abhinandan” look.
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