Tunak Tunak Tun

"Tunak Tunak Tun" or simply "Tunak", is a Bhangra/Indi-pop song by Indian Punjabi artist Daler Mehndi, released in 1998. It was the first Indian music video made using greenscreen technology.[1]

"Tunak Tunak Tun"
Song by Daler Mehndi
from the album Tunak Tunak Tun
Released1998
GenreBhangra music, Indian pop music
Length5:03
LabelMagnasound Records
Songwriter(s)Daler Mehndi
Music video
"Tunak Tunak Tun" on YouTube

The song and the video were a success in India, cementing Mehndi's status as India's biggest and most popular popstar at the time.[2] It later gained international success,[2] especially after it became an internet meme in the 2000s.[3][4]

Background

The "Tunak Tunak Tun" lyrics are a reference to the sounds made by a tumbi (also called tumba), a traditional musical instrument from the Punjab region in the northern Indian subcontinent.[5] The lyrics also refer to the ektara or tuntuna.

Mehndi's music was often criticized for only being popular due to his videos which featured beautiful, dancing women.[1] The singer responded by creating a video that featured only himself. The music video was the first made in India using Bluescreen technology,[1] which allowed the singer to superimpose his image over various computer-generated backgrounds including desert and mountain landscapes as well as the St. Basil's Cathedral.

The music video was produced on an unprecedented budget of ₹2.5 crores[6] ($610,000),[7] equivalent to ₹9 crores ($1.33 million) adjusted for inflation.

Music video

The music video follows a simple plot about four men, all played by Mehndi, who represent the four classical elements and dress in lavish Indian clothing. The earth Mehndi wears red/maroon, the fire Mehndi wears orange, the wind Mehndi wears brown, and the water Mehndi wears green. The men start off as comets made of water, dirt, air, and fire before transforming into clothed humans. Each of them take turns singing, dancing and pointing at each other as though they are discussing something. The men later fuse by first reverting to their comet states and then merging to form Daler Mehndi, who is predominantly donning garb of yellow and green.

As of June 15, 2020, the music video has received over 150 million views on the Sony Music India channel at YouTube.[8]

Reception

The song and the music video received a negative review from Rashtriya Sahara magazine in 1998.[9] Despite this, the song became an incredible commercial success in 1998, becoming the biggest Indi-pop hit at the time.[2]

By 1999, the song found an international cult following, particularly among the South Asian diaspora in countries such as the United Kingdom and United States, as well as in Far-Eastern markets such as Japan.[2] In China, it attained popularity for its lyrics, which sound like nonsensical words, gaining the song the Chinese name, "我在东北玩泥巴" ("I'm playing clay in Northeastern China").[10]

In the 2000s, "Tunak Tunak Tun" found greater international popularity on the internet as a viral video. In response, the video game company Blizzard Entertainment incorporated the "Tunak Tunak Tun" dance as a character animation in their multiplayer role-playing game World of Warcraft in 2007.[11] This dance is also included as an easter egg in the video game Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Spearhead.[12]

Chart performance
Chart (1998-2016) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 28
India Hit Singles 1
Billboard World Digital Songs Sales Chart 22

References
  1. "Tunak Tunak Tun". dalermehndi.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  2. "Bhangra Beat Transforms Indipop Scene". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 111 (39): 101. 25 September 1999.
  3. Rizwan, Sahil (5 December 2016). "How Daler Mehndi's "Tunak Tunak Tun" Became A Global Viral Phenomenon". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  4. AnjaliGera, Roy (2016). Bhangra Moves: From Ludhiana to London and Beyond. New York: Routledge. p. 91. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  5. "Coffee Run!!! ft. Daler Mehndi! (4 minutes)". YouTube. deadmau5. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  6. "Better luck next time: Daler Mehndi". Rashtriya Sahara. Sahara India Mass Communication. 6 (7–12): 147. 1998. With sum of Rs 2.5 Crores Daler was supposed to make Music Video.
  7. "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)". World Bank. 1997. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  8. Daler Mehndi - Tunak Tunak Tun Video on YouTube
  9. "Better luck next time: Daler Mehndi". Rashtriya Sahara. Sahara India Mass Communication. 6 (7–12): 147. 1998.
  10. "百度百科 我在东北玩泥巴".
  11. "Daler Mehndi Tunaks his way into World of Warcraft". asiancorrespondent.com/. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  12. "Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead Easter Egg - Make the Player Models Dance". The Easter Egg Archive. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  13. "Ultratop.be - Daler Mehndi - Tunak Tunak Tun". Ultratop. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
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