India is a country of voracious meme-loving people, with a set of media influences that goes far beyond the standard Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fare. Sometimes the source of Indian memes comes as an actual surprise, as is the case with a meme that went viral in 2020-era India.

Here's the lore behind the screengrab of a bunch of anime-drawn Indian people sobbing as they say, Bas Kar Bhai, or "Stop it bro!"

Where Does The 'Bas Kar Bhai' Meme Come From?

Sometime in 2020, users of the app MemeChat began using an image of what appeared to be a group of turban-wearing Indian cartoon men folding their hands and crying in joy. The meme is sourced from a brief frame in an episode of the Japanese anime Symphogear, a show where super-human girl idols fight a destructive alien race.

In an episode from the show, a character named Maria Cadenzavna Eve broadcasts her music around the world, including at the Eiffel Tower in Paris and, at the bemusement of many Indians, on a giant screen next to the Taj Mahal. Maria seems to have several loyal fans in India too, with a gaggle of men crowding around the Taj Mahal screen to sob at her musical abilities.

Lolll TIL that meme of those uncles crying with their hands folded (that we all use for "Bas Kar") is from one random anime where grown-ass Indian men are crying in gratefulness & awe after watching a Japanese girl band concert.

It's now a hundred times funnier to me. pic.twitter.com/TBF62tceu1

— Sahil Rizwan (@SahilRiz) December 20, 2020

What Does 'Bas Kar Bhai' Mean?

"Bas Kar Bhai" is the phrase most often associated with the meme, with people using the phrase in conjunction with the image to convey a sense of exasperation and desperation. The meme is basically used to say "Bro, pleaaase stop it, I'm begging you."

A common use for the meme to use it for social commentary. Shown below is an example of the meme being used to ask people to stop using another overused meme. Another way the meme was used was to beg someone to stop posting their knowledge of English music.

What Are Some Other Examples Of The 'Bas Kar Bhai' Meme?

The exaggerated crying of the anime men is the perfect template for conveying total and complete exasperation. Some people used the meme to beg others to stop posting banal weather updates on their social media, but others used it to ask one inauspicious prediction specialist to stop cursing their beloved cricket teams.

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For the full history of the "Bas Kar Bhai" meme, be sure to check out our entry on it here for even more information.