Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the IAF pilot who became the face of a tense military confrontation between India and Pakistan in February, hit the headlines on Monday when he flew a sortie with Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa on a MiG 21 jet in Pathankot.
Varthaman is a social media darling, not only because of his bravery, but also because of his handlebar moustache—a style that many queued up in saloons to emulate in the wake of his capture and release by Pakistan. While the handlebar moustache has been fairly popular down south, thanks to three editions of Suriya's extremely loud and incredibly predictable Singam, the nationwide popularity of handlebar moustache owes much to Varthaman.
However, when Varthaman appeared along with B.S. Dhanoa Monday, there was something amiss. It was Varthaman alright, but without his signature handlebar moustache. The wing commander spotted a Chevron mustache instead.
Those youngsters who proudly spotted the Varthaman-style moustache and others who couldn't do it for lack of hair or other reasons, were disappointed with the makeover. Well, they did what they do best. Express their displeasure on social media.
The bigger breaking is that India has lost its famous mustachahe, wrote one user.
The famous moustache is trimmed, said another.