| "Tunak Tunak Tun" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single byDaler Mehndi | |
| from the album Tunak Tunak Tun | |
| Released | February 28, 1998 |
| Genre | Bhangra music,Indi-pop |
| Length | 4:16 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | Daler Mehndi |
| Music video | |
| "Tunak Tunak Tun" onYouTube | |
"Tunak Tunak Tun" or simply "Tunak Tunak", is aBhangra/Indi-pop song by IndianPunjabi artistDaler Mehndi, released in 1998. It was the first Indian music video made usingchroma key technology.[1]
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 and garnered acult following,[2] especially after it became aninternet meme in the 2000s.[3][4]
The "Tunak Tunak Tun" lyrics are a reference to the sounds made by atumbi (also called tumba), a traditional musical instrument from thePunjab region in the northernIndian subcontinent.[5] The lyrics also refer to theektara ortuntuna.
Mehndi claims his music was often criticized for only being popular due to the abundance of beautiful, dancing women in his videos.[1] The singer responded by creating a video that featured nobody but himself. The music video was the first made in India usingbluescreen technology,[1] which allowed the singer to superimpose his image over variouscomputer-generated backgrounds including desert and mountain landscapes as well asSt. Basil's Cathedral.
The music video was produced on a budget of₹2.5 crore[6] ($610,000),[7] equivalent to₹11 crore ($1.52 million) adjusted for inflation.
The music video follows a simple plot about four men, all played by Mehndi, who represent the fourclassical 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, earth, air, and fire before transforming into clothed Mehndis. Each of the Mehndis take turns singing, dancing and pointing at each other as though they are discussing something. The Mehndis later fuse by first reverting to their comet states and then merging to form one big Mehndi, who is predominantly clad in garb of gold and emerald.
As of 6 December 2024, the music video had received over200 million views on theSony Music India channel atYouTube[8] but has been removed from theSony Music India channel due to copyright issues from Mehndi.
The song and the music video received a negative review fromRashtriya Sahara magazine in 1998.[9] Despite this, the song became a notable commercial success in 1998, becoming the biggestIndi-pop hit at the time.[2]
By 1999, the song found an international cult following, particularly among theSouth Asian diaspora in countries such as the United Kingdom and United States, as well as inFar-Eastern markets such as Japan.[2] In China, it attained popularity forits lyrics, which sound like nonsensical words, gaining the song the Chinese name, "我在东北玩泥巴" ("I'm playing with mud inNortheastern China").[10]
In the 2000s, "Tunak Tunak Tun" found greater international popularity on the internet as aviral video. In response, the video game companyBlizzard Entertainment incorporated the "Tunak Tunak Tun" dance as a character animation in their multiplayer role-playing gameWorld of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade in 2007.[11] This dance is also included as an easter egg in the video gameMedal of Honor: Allied Assault Spearhead.[12]
| Chart (1998–2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] | 28 |
| India Hit Singles | 1 |
With sum ofRs 2.5 Crores Daler was supposed to make Music Video.