On June 4, even as election results unfolded , Rahul Gandhi appeared in an intriguing place: the X account @archivedilfs. Expanding the acronym DILF may be more than this venerable journal can bring itself to do. For those who do not know, it stands for what some people might like to do to a Zaddy, or attractive older man, especially in the queer universe.
The tweet featured one of the videos from the where Rahul, backlit by a sunset, his wrinkles glowing in the golden hour, reaches out to people and people reach out for him. The video was cut to the song, “Daddy’s Back”. This may not seem like a significant political event, but I would like to argue that Rahul Gandhi’s journey from Pappu to DILF signals a turning point in not only his own evolution, but also in the evolving need for new political frames.
Although Rahul is blessed with movie star good looks, he never seemed to acquire a star’s stature, not even after perceptions of him altered with the Bharat Jodo Yatra. In December 2023, about the very different masculinity Rahul embodies, one which provides an antidote to the more dominating and domineering version idealised over the last decade. This masculinity is softer, more embracing and caring.
But I did end with the question of whether Rahul, for all his willingness to rise to the challenges of being on the losing side, could bring a more libidinal force to bear on his work and display a franker appetite for power. The last few weeks of the election campaig.