Bengaluru: Kerala’s newly sworn-in Chief Minister, VD Satheesan, is making waves on social media. All it took was a smile at his very first press conference.
The now-viral smile was a response to a reporter’s question about legalising vehicle modifications—a poll promise that had young voters excited.
The CM shakes his head from side-to-side and smiles and says if we’ve said we’ll make it happen.
“We’ve come to make everything we’ve promised a reality,” he said with a grin. The reel, posted by Neelakkuyil Entertainments, has over 14 million views.
It has spawned an entire genre of ‘Pookie CM’ content. Pookie is a term of endearment.
One with 8.4 million views has the caption ‘How cool is your CM?’ followed by Satheesan’s smile. Another with 6.4 million views states ‘One smile and entire Kerala gone’. Both are set to Anirudh Ravichander’s new song Raga of Revenge.
Satheesan was asked about the reel when he was signing his new book, Adam Nee Evide Aakunnu? (Adam, Where Are You?).
“It was a young man who asked the question, my response came from a place of affection. It was meant to convey, ‘don’t worry, we’ll get it done’,” he said, while laughing.
Satheesan added that it was his daughter who showed him the ‘pookie’ reels.
The moment has catapulted Satheesan into internet fame and organically created a warm, affectionate branding around the new CM.
Also read: 14 first-timers, 2 women, 2 SC members: A peek at Satheesan’s 20-minister cabinet in Kerala
Captain vs Pookie
Another popular iteration of the reel combines two things Malayalis love—politics and alcohol.
Vinoy P Alexander, who runs an account called ‘Thetimingwizard’, posted one which has racked up over 3 million views. As Satheesan’s video plays on TV, Alexander asks if he should pour the CM a drink. Satheesan’s expressions match perfectly.
A comment that stands out is a user warning Alexander to take the video down in case action is taken against him. He responds with, “chief minister of Kerala is not pinarayi. It’s VD Sateeshan Educated chief minister (sic).”
It’s not the only reel under which Satheesan has been compared to former CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Vijayan cultivated the image of Captain—a stern, no-nonsense leader. Outlook described him as a CM who “wears a perpetually serious expression, is taciturn, and has little patience for small talk.”
Satheesan’s smiling, laid-back and easy-to-approach demeanor is a change Malayalis are welcoming wholeheartedly. There are multiple reels showing people going up to him and calling him pookie, he responds with laughs and smiles.
“Finally a smiling CM,” is a common refrain under the ‘pookie’ reels.