Led by Ambassador Chang Jae-bok, the Embassy of South Korea in New Delhi danced its way into Indian hearts to the beats of the hit song ‘Naatu Naatu’, from RRR. With some of the dancers dressed in the traditional Korean hanbok, the Embassy team gamely executed the song’s popular hook step, even performing the turbo-charged “dance-off” that it ends with. The reaction of Indians to the video shared on the embassy’s social media accounts has been uniformly warm and welcoming — even the Prime Minister chimed in, describing the dance as a “lively and adorable team effort”.
While the Embassy’s video is no doubt an endearing diplomatic gesture from one soft power to another, the evident enthusiasm of the dancers also speaks of the irresistible allure of a catchy song. The Golden Globe-winning ‘Naatu Naatu’ is one of the highlights of the international juggernaut that is RRR — it recently picked up another award at the Hollywood Critics Association (where RRR won four other prizes, including for Best International Film), and has been nominated for Best Original Song in the upcoming Academy Awards. The song has developed a dedicated fan base, seemingly independent of the movie, spawning a number of social media “dance challenges” and viral covers.
The effect of the South Korean wave — known as Hallyu — has been felt all over the world for at least 20 years now, from pop music acts such as BTS, Blackpink and Girls’ Generation, to K-dramas like Crash Landing on You, Reply 1988 and Squid Game. Indians too have been in its thrall for almost as long, forming some of the most dedicated K-pop and K-drama fandoms in the world. For all the joy that South Korean pop culture has given to people in this country, it is nice to give some of it back with a little naatu naatu.
