Using friendship and geopolitics, Donald Trump's flamboyant birthday wishes for PM Modi transformed a routine conversation into a symbolic display of Indo-US solidarity.

The customary diplomatic rites of flowers, wishes, and a barrage of hashtags took place on the morning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 57th birthday. But one message—President Donald J. Trump's birthday greeting—pierced the commotion like a spotlight on a velvet stage:

“Happy Birthday to my great friend Modi. Let’s make the future tremendous again.”

It was a mix of geopolitical flirting and birthday celebration: Trump and Modi are performers in the vast arena of geopolitics, not only leaders. Each has a unique style of its own: Modi, the sober strategist who enjoys using lyrical symbolism; Trump, the unpredictable entertainer whose instincts often go beyond the script. Together, they form a distinctive duo that combines charm and guile in equal measure. Imagine Ocean's Eleven, but with trade agreements and nuclear codes. Trump’s steakhouse swagger meets Modi’s chai diplomacy. The grins are practiced, and the handshake is solid, but what about the chemistry? It's obvious.

Trump's birthday greeting was not only kind; it was calculated. A subliminal message to both friends and foes: the friendship is not only still there but is also growing. Trump just played an ace at poker, reminding the table that he still has control of the deck, not to win the hand.

What about Modi? He didn't recoil. In response, he nodded to future endeavors and shared beliefs with his signature grace. Quiet power, without the showman. The type that is sensed without the need for praise.

That same sense of composure was evident again when Modi later thanked Trump for his 75th birthday greetings during a phone call, reaffirming their bond in a more formal setting. “Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” Modi wrote on X. His words carried both warmth and weight, underscoring shared commitments that go beyond personal camaraderie.

The balance, not simply the appearance, is what makes this friendship so captivating. While Modi's measured solemnity and Trump's magnetic unpredictability are on different frequencies, they are on the same wavelength. They complement one another rather than replicate one another. Furthermore, such complementarity is valuable in a world where diplomacy is increasingly influenced by personality.

A meme portraying the two leaders riding a tandem bicycle through the G20 conference, with Modi guiding with stoic perfection and Trump throwing MAGA hats to the throng, was posted after Trump's tweet. Yes, it is comedy, but it also serves as a reminder that politics is like a checkerboard and a circus these days.