Swastika Mukherjee sparks conversation on hair oiling with a nostalgic post

Swastika Mukherjee recently shared a heartfelt post on social media, reminiscing about the fading tradition of hair oiling. Reflecting on her childhood and her daughter Mani’s hostel days, she contrasted past habits with today’s fast-paced, image-conscious world.
“Mani had ‘Oil Put Day’ twice a week at her hostel. She would call me and say, ‘Mom, today my oil put happened.’ The warden aunty insisted on using only coconut oil, not jasmine oil, because ‘we will get lice,’” Mukherjee wrote. She fondly recalled visiting Mani and seeing her walk in with “two long, beautiful braids, neatly tied after applying coconut oil.”
Swastika shared how oiling hair was once second nature. “As a child and even as an adult, as long as I had long hair, I always stepped out with oil on my head. But gradually, I didn’t even realise when it became something unusual,” she reflected.
Highlighting how previous generations embraced the practice without hesitation, she said, “Mothers and aunts did everything—office, household chores, markets, travel—all with oil in their hair. But now, people get an oil massage at the salon only to wash it off immediately. The habit of oiling hair at home is almost gone.”
The actor also commented on today’s obsession with social media validation saying, “Now, life seems to be about whether something is Instagram-worthy—only then is it considered ‘done.’”
Concluding her post, she emphasised how superficial concerns have taken over real experiences. “Nothing really happens because of oil, shampoo, makeup, or branded clothes. We are just too preoccupied with ourselves, rushing to keep up with what others post," she said, adding, “From now on, whenever I feel like it, I’ll OIL PUT. And do whatever I want to, woman.”
Her post struck a chord with many, sparking discussions on changing beauty standards and the pressures of modern social media culture.
One user wrote, “This post left me with a strange sense of relief. The pressure to be ‘Instagrammable’ all the time makes even small, simple things feel heavy now," while another commented, “So true. We seem to have lost a bit of our authenticity.”
Many connected the post to personal memories. “My mother used to oil my hair… she’s not around anymore. This post brought back so many emotions. Thank you, Swastika di,” wrote one user. Another fan added, “I still go out with oil in my hair—to the market, even to the office. It has never felt odd to me, maybe because I never had to overthink it.”