Just when we were beginning to wrap our heads around Gen Z terms like delulu and solulu, along came another three-syllable curveball. Labubu, Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung’s mischievous dangling plush toys, have quickly become everyone’s viral obsession. If the hype eludes you, you’re not alone. Indian cricket team ODI captain Rohit Sharma recently expressed his confusion around his daughter Samaira’s obsession with the dolls. Samaira isn’t alone. The Labubu fan club has roped in celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and more recently, Ananya Panday.

A dated photograph of Ramdas Padhye and Aparna Padhye (standing) with different versions of Tatya Vinchu. PICS COURTESY/SATYAJIT PADHYE

Riding the wave, albeit inadvertently, are the Padhyes whose social media notifications have been pinging incessantly this month. “I was surprised to see how many people remembered Tatya Vinchu amid the virality. When I created Tatya in 1993, I honestly didn’t have high hopes that people would like him,” recalls veteran ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye. “A fan wrote to us saying it was time Tatya asserted his dominance,” laughs son Satyajit. Answer, they did. “A hundred dolls will come and go, but don’t forget, I was always the OG,” the doll reminds us in a new video.