Why #DancingUncle Has Become Such A Viral Sensation?

Assistant professor Sanjeev Shrivastava or #DancingUncle has won more than a million hearts on the internet for his killer dance moves. The 46-year-old who hails from Vidisha, was attending a wedding in Gwalior when he took the stage with his demure wife Anjali.

Best wedding performance selected by UNESCO pic.twitter.com/XPmLbmRKld

— Gautam Trivedi (@KaptanHindustan) May 30, 2018

As per an article in The Hindustan Times, Shrivastava has won Madhya Pradesh’s best dancer award thrice in the eighties. However, his talent went unrecognised, until someone recorded him dancing at the wedding and uploaded it on the internet.

Now, as it breaks the internet, we ask what is it about the #DancingUncle (a christening courtesy our desi habit of referring to every random middle-aged dude as uncle), that makes it such a treat to watch?

Nostalgia and his enthusiasm

We have seen countless viral videos of middle-aged men dancing at weddings in the past. Some consumed by the spirit of a Naagin out for revenge, while others appearing to have stepped on a nude electric live wire. These videos are hilarious, but Shrivastava’s video is more joyous than funny.

For starters, this father of two has some cool moves. Secondly, his enthusiasm on stage is infectious.

He takes to the dance floor without a care in the world about what people will think or say. He knows he is good, and that makes all the difference. Secondly, the song Main Se Meena Se Na Saki Se is an immensely popular song from the eighties. It is from the 1987 movie Khudgarz, which starred Govinda and Neelam.

This video got me listening to the said song on loop yesterday. It evoked a nostalgic feeling of times when we would shake a leg anytime this song came on Chitrahaar. Be it Kisi Disco Me Jaen, Ankhiyon Se Goli Mare, or I Am A Street Dancer, for most of us dance was synonymous with Govinda. His effortless moves were both relatable and fun to watch. In times when dancing is about doing back-flips or showing off a chiselled torso and biceps in the name of contemporary dancing, one pines for easy and replicable groove.

While the majority of viral videos are more upsetting in nature than cheery, the #DancingUncle video just fills you up with simple joy and adulation for Shrivastava.

It is rare for a viral video to do that. It makes us forget our differences for a couple of minutes and gawk in awe at a man who dances from his heart. Shrivastava’s fame is a testament that passion and joy are as infectious as anger and hatred. If only we could have more of the former, our world - both in real and virtual capacity, would be such a wonderful place.

Photo Credit : YouTube

Also Read : Groove Like This: Bride’s Bhangra Video In Choli & Jeans Is Going Viral

Yamini Pustake Bhalerao is a writer with the SheThePeople team, in the Opinions section.  The views expressed are author’s own.