Bollywood To The Rescue: In China, Bappi Lahiri Song Is A Protest Anthem For Covid

Bappi Lahiri’s superhit song 'Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja' from 1982 movie Disco Dancer is now a subtle call for defiance in China where the megacities continue to face lockdowns under Covid Zero regime.

For millions of Chinese, a song familiar to most people in India has become an unlikely outlet to express their growing frustration over their government’s harsh COVID-19 lockdowns.

Bappi Lahiri’s Classic Hit ‘Jimmy Jimmy’ Is Now a Protest Song in China

In Douyin - the Chinese name for TikTok, the song composed by Lahiri and sung by Parvati Khan is sung in Mandarin as "Jie mi, jie mi", which further translates into "Give me rice, give me rice", by people in the videos mockingly showing empty vessels to show how they are deprived of essential food items during the lockdowns.

The video has so far managed to escape Chinese censors that are quick to remove any post deemed critical of the country's regime, reports Press Trust of India.

China has been bogged down with a zero-COVID policy under which dozens of cities, including Shanghai which has a population over 25 million, were under lockdown for weeks with people confined to their flats.

At least 2,898 new Covid-19 cases were reported in mainland China on Sunday, topping 2,000 for a second consecutive day, the national health commission (NHC) said on Monday.

Under the zero-COVID policy mandated by President Xi Jinping, the cities and localities have to undergo strict lockdowns and people in the area are shifted to quarantine centres if any positive cases are reported.

In almost all cities, including Beijing, testing is mandatory for all residents. Without negative test results, people in the cities cannot enter public places including restaurants and markets.

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