Little monkey Punch: From Kajol’s ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ to Delhi police and other brands; the internet hops into the trend, sells ‘sympathy’

A little monkey named Punch is making inroads into people’s hearts on social media.

Abandoned at birth by his mother at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, he was raised with the help of bottle feed by zookeepers. His eventual introduction to the rest of his tribe at the zoo brought him sudden joy, but the feeling was short-lived.

For, when little Punch tried to hug other monkeys, in a bid to find the comfort and connection that he never really got, he was rejected by all.

So one fine day, when zookeepers gave him a stuffed toy to play, in the shape of an orangutan, he clutched on to it like it was the biggest treasure.

He has since gone viral for his adorable habit of holding onto the toy, dragging it along as he hops and wanders in the zoo, and sleeping with it – while he clings tight to seek love and comfort.

Punch still tries to hug his fellow mates, and still gets rejected quite often. Only now, he doesn’t feel sad, rather, goes back to find his family in the toy.

While the internet is overflowing with emotions and sympathy for Punch, social media handles and big corporations are using this trend to market themselves, or, to just soak in the vibe along with others.

On Instagram, @primevideoin has cleverly marketed its movies showcasing the ‘orangutan’ stuffed toy along with Bollywood actors, such as Kajol, Manoj Bajpayee, Jaydeep Ahlawat, etc.

Reacting to the post, one user commented, “@primevideoin Akela feel kar raha hun membership de do.”

On the other hand, Delhi police, on their official Instagram and X handles, posted a photo of Punch, his stuffed toy, and an animated figure of a police official – all holding hands. The caption reads, “Punch’s story reminds us – everyone needs someone & we’re always here for you. Dial 112.”

More pages such as Haldirams, Ikea, Bistro by Blinkit, Dippos and many more are hopping on the bandwagon to market themselves, highlighting that ‘sympathy’ sells faster in the consumer market.