In the unpredictable world of social media, where memes and trends pop up overnight, the latest sensation is “Prashant.” No, not a new influencer or celebrity — Prashant is the unexpected moniker for the French pastry, croissant, thanks to a content creator’s delightful mispronunciation.
It all began when Instagram creator Ayush posted a reel where he mistakenly pronounced croissant as “Prashant.” Little did he know, this innocent slip of the tongue would snowball into a viral phenomenon. The video racked up over 17 million views and more than a million shares, sparking what netizens now fondly call the “Prashant wave.”
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tum prashant bologe, hum croissant samajh lenge 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Hq1knZBEsz
— Swiggy Food (@Swiggy) March 21, 2025
Britannia, the FMCG giant behind the much-loved product, wasted no time hopping on the bandwagon. As of March 12, the official Instagram bio of Britannia’s croissant reads, “Prashant, naam toh suna hi hoga,” a witty nod to the iconic Bollywood dialogue. Weeks later, the bio remains unchanged, celebrating the playful twist that captured the internet’s imagination.
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The trend quickly transcended its origins, drawing in celebrities, brands, and even streaming platforms. Actress Rakul Preet Singh shared a video of herself indulging in a chocolate-filled croissant, captioning it, “Sunday done right with Prashant (croissant).” Singer Shreya Ghoshal joined the fun when an AI-generated voice asked her to name desserts, and she cheekily replied, “Prashant.” “Thoda zyada ho gaya, I know,” she laughed, tagging Ayush in the post.
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Actress Diana Penty added her own comedic touch, posting a reel with a plate full of croissants in front of her, quipping, “And all this while I thought it was Khwaason.” The joke didn’t stop there — OTT giant Netflix released a video featuring Ayush, weaving the Prashant narrative into scenes from popular shows like Squid Game, Money Heist, and Wednesday. Even Swiggy got in on the action, tweeting, “Tum Prashant bologe, hum croissant samajh lenge,” accompanied by a screenshot of “Prashant” typed into their search bar, showing croissants in the results.
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The viral moment is a testament to the whimsical nature of internet culture, where a simple mispronunciation can snowball into a shared joke, uniting people across platforms and cultures. Whether you call it a croissant or affectionately refer to it as Prashant, one thing is clear — social media trends have an uncanny ability to turn even the flakiest pastry into a cultural phenomenon.
So, the next time you bite into a buttery, flaky croissant, take a moment to appreciate the delightful absurdity of the internet. Or perhaps, raise your pastry and say, “Here’s to you, Prashant!”
