When South Korean culture started becoming popular globally, with the country exporting its entertainment, fashion, music and movies in a big way, they coined a term to describe it—hallyu—which, when translated, means 'Korean wave'. Indian culture has been making waves globally for years now, but we don't have a coinage for it. Now, with 'Naatu Naatu' and The Elephant Whisperers going home with the golden lady, maybe it is time to change that.
On February 25, in a strange reversal of things, it was the Koreans who tipped their hats to us, when Korean ambassador Chang Jae-bok, as well as other members of his embassy, grooved energetically to the hook of 'Naatu Naatu'. The video of the dancing diplomats got over four lakh views and thousands of likes on YouTube. The German embassy followed suit. In New Jersey recently, Tesla cars blinked their headlights to the song's beats. The likes of Steven Spielberg, Nathalie Emmanuel and Jessica Chastain were rooting for it even before it won the Oscar. For once, we had the world dancing to our tune.
The fact that a song from a Telugu blockbuster won the Oscar shows that Indian cinema is now looking past Bollywood. “There’s so much talent in the southern, Punjabi, Bengali, and other regional film industries,” says film critic Taran Adarsh. “This needs to be tapped and brought to the global stage.”
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin April 09, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin April 09, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.