When Natalie Di Luccio, an Italian-Canadian classical-crossover singer from Toronto sings Bollywood hit songs- ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ and ‘Pehla Nasha’, Luo Ping- a Chinese TV reality show Super Idol 13’s contestant sings ‘Tujh main rab dikhta hai’ from a Shah Rukh Khan movie, a US school chorus decides to sing a superhit Tamil song ‘Balleilakka Balleilakka’ from the hit movie ‘Sivaji’ at a yearly event, Ary- a Canadian girl sings ‘Kolaveri’ originally sung by Tamil superstar Dhanush, a Turkish boy sings the famous ‘Awara Hoon’ song from Raj Kapoor’s movie in a reality show and when Dubai appoints Shahrukh Khan as its ambassador — they are not just an aberration or eccentricity, but they adequately exemplify how India’s ever rising soft power, amply bolstered by rich and age old moral, spiritual and cultural value system, is being embraced all across the globe.
Indian serials like ‘Saas bhi kabhi bahu thi’, ‘Kumkum’, ‘Intezar’, ‘Kasauti Zindagi ki’, and others were a craze for the people of Afghanistan until they were banned. When ‘Saas bhi kabhi bahu thi’ happened, the roads in Afghan cities wore a deserted look like the ones we witnessed during ‘Ramayana’ and Mahabharata’ happening in India some three decades ago. Indian popular films may not be rewarded at the Academy Awards or at Cannes, but have massive fan followings, especially in China, Central Asia, Middle East and African countries. Former Prime Minister, Manmohan singh once told that while in power, wherever he went from Africa to Middle-East, he heard praising words for Indian songs, music, film and other soft sides of our culture.
Only a couple of days earlier, Argentina federal police decided to effectively use the techniques of Yoga for stress management of its personnel. Yoga is truly considered to be India’s greatest modern gift to the world. Though, it has been in practice in several parts of the globe for last several…