In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, content creator and chaos connoisseur Srishti Garg opens up about the wildly viral Pookie Clinic—a satirical pink-hued therapy setup where she lovingly roasts toxic traits, alpha energy, and everything in between. With props, skits, and quick-fire diagnosis sessions, she’s turned emotional unavailability into punchlines, and red flags into comic relief
Tejal Sinha
Move over, talk shows! Make room for Pookie Clinic—a delightfully absurd, pastel-soaked fever dream from content creator Srishti Garg, where red-flag-riddled internet men are diagnosed with fake syndromes and put through a series of unhinged challenges in a bid to become “Certified Pookies.” Think: alpha male meets nail spa, filtered through a Gen Z lens of parody, pop culture and pink chaos.
The trailer has already left fans wheezing, featuring stars like Santanu Hazarika, Hamza Sayed, Sufi Motiwala and Kevin Zingkai tackling their assigned syndromes—from ‘Mean Posting Syndrome’ to ‘Bohot Bada Playboy Syndrome’—with side-splitting results. Whether it’s whispering ASMR apologies to an ex or parodying Espresso videos, the guests must prove their reformation by going on a surprise date. If they pass, they earn the much-coveted Certified Pookie Award. If not? They’re handed an apple—because, in Srishti’s words, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and Dr. Srishti doesn’t want to see them again.”
Though the term “Pookie” has gone viral online, Srishti confesses she didn’t fully understand its meaning at first.
“I remember this guy from the West kept using it, and I thought it was so adorable. Then people started calling me that. I even went on a podcast where they asked me, ‘How does it feel to be the internet’s Pookie?’” she recalls, laughing. “I was shy at first. But over time, it stuck. I began using it in videos and then during promotions with Richa Chaddha, we coined Pookie Mandi. That became the name of my broadcast channel.” What started as a comment section nickname turned into a digital identity—and now, a full-fledged IP.
So how did the idea for a show like Pookie Clinic come to life?
“I wanted to do something different from the typical interview formats. The idea was to make it random, fun, and uniquely me. A big inspiration was Between Two Ferns, which was quirky and weird, and I wanted that energy.”
Initially, she dreamed of “Gen Z-fying” seasoned actors like Pankaj Tripathi or Javed Jaffrey, but logistics made that difficult. “I reached out to a lot of people. Nothing worked. It felt like the universe was against me,” she admits. Then came an epiphany.
“I thought—why not take loud, problematic alpha figures from the internet and make them cute? Instead of Gen Z-fying older people, which felt done by now, I decided to flip the narrative on toxic masculinity and create a show where I roast them, they roast me, and then I ‘diagnose’ them.”
The clinic concept grew out of her love for contradictions.
“I love juxtaposition. The idea of putting a toxic man in a girly pink clinic, doing skincare and waxing—it’s hilarious to me. That’s the essence of the show. And it’s exactly the kind of content I love creating.”
This kind of character-driven satire isn’t new territory for Srishti. “I’ve done mockumentaries before—‘Beautiful Princess Disorder,’ ‘Diva Disease’—so syndromes and quirky personas were always part of my content. Pookie Clinic just took it to the next level.”
The casting process was equally intentional. “We weren’t necessarily looking for actual red-flag people. We focused on their internet personas—people who are a little edgy or controversial online.”
Srishti admits she can be seen as problematic too. “I give boyfriend advice, so even I come off as preachy or ‘too much’ sometimes. That was the whole point—everyone has a little red flag energy.”
She’s deeply grateful to those who came on board. “They supported my pilot. Whether as guests or dates—they’ve been so kind and gracious. I can’t thank them enough.”
The ultimate “treatment result” of the show—either a Certified Pookie Award or an apple—is pure internet gold.
“I knew exactly how I wanted the award to look. I doodled the bow emoji with ‘Certified Pookie’ on it and worked with the team to build it,” she says. “For the apple, it was a cheeky pun—‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away,’ so if you get that, I don’t want to see you again!”
From the blue teddy bear on the desk to pink props pulled from her room, every detail on set is personalised. “This IP is my baby. Every joke, every object—nothing is random.”
The show’s hilarious segments range from “Pill the Tea” to chaotic karaoke, but Srishti is especially excited about the Date segments.
“If you’re into chemistry, flirtiness and seeing if someone becomes a Certified Pookie—those are your episodes. But if you want to hear ASMR apologies or daddy voice challenges, ‘Pill the Tea’ is your jam!”
One guest who surprised her was Sufi Motiwala. “We’d never spoken before the shoot, so I didn’t know what to expect. But the vibe was amazing. He was a total sweetheart, especially during the waxing challenge—which he just took like a champ!”
With Kevin and Shantanu, whom she’d met at events, the vibe was easier. “But with Sufi, it went from awkward to so fun, so naturally. I really appreciated that.”
Despite the roasting format, Srishti was extremely mindful about keeping things respectful.
“Humour’s tricky today. I didn’t want anyone to leave feeling bad. So a week before the shoot, we sent scripts to the guests and their managers. They could veto anything. I was very transparent.”
That said, she kept one element a surprise—their roast of her. “I had no idea what they were going to say. Kevin, for example, brought something on set that genuinely stunned me.”
She adds with a laugh, “I’m not great at handling roasts—I’ll literally start crying! So this was a very interesting experience for me.”
So how does Srishti define the genre-bending Pookie Clinic?
“If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s the rom-com version of YouTube videos,” she smiles. “It’s just pure, feel-good, lighthearted chaos. I don’t care about views or engagement right now. I just hope people see the effort and love we put in.” She’s already receiving feedback from early viewers. “People asked for more subtitles, so that’s happening next. Every schedule will evolve based on reactions.”
The term ‘Pookie’ has become a cultural meme, but why does it resonate so deeply?
“I think it’s just the cutest term of endearment,” she says. “Anyone—man or woman—would blush if you call them Pookie. It makes you feel adorable. Simps are like aashiqs, but Pookies are just cuties.”
And if she had to diagnose herself?
“Definitely Delusional Diva Disorder,” she laughs. “I’m super delusional and narcissistic—in a good way—and of course, I’m a diva. It works for me!”
For now, the focus is on how the pilot season unfolds.
“I know content needs to evolve every 6 to 8 months. If Pookie Clinic grows, it’ll be because we keep pushing it with more diverse guests and even wilder ideas.”
Whether it’s a satire on toxic masculinity or a joyful celebration of internet absurdity, Pookie Clinic is a one-of-a-kind creation—part roast, part rom-com, and entirely Srishti Garg.
