RomaineAchen489: small changes

2026-03-02T21:12:13Z

small changes

imported>SunDawn: Reverted edits by 2406:3003:2060:36D1:40FA:99A0:E47A:D37E (talk) (HG) (3.4.10)

2021-08-01T12:10:30Z

Reverted edits by 2406:3003:2060:36D1:40FA:99A0:E47A:D37E (talk) (HG) (3.4.10)

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Tunak Tunak Tun
| cover = Tunak Tunak Tun Cover.jpg
| alt = A man in a red turban, yellow vest, and sporting a distinct moustache and beard holds his arms outwards while smiling in front of a colorful-pattern background. The words "Daler Mehndi" appear above his head, and the words "Tunak Tunak Tun" are just below his extended arms.
| artist = [[Daler Mehndi]]
| album = Tunak Tunak Tun
| released = 1998
| genre = [[Bhangra (music)|Bhangra music]], [[Indi-pop]]
| length = 5:03
| label = [[Magnasound Records]]
| writer = [[Daler Mehndi]]
| misc = {{External music video|type=song|{{YouTube|vTIIMJ9tUc8|"Tunak Tunak Tun"}}}}
}}
"'''Tunak Tunak Tun'''" or simply "'''Tunak'''", is a [[Bhangra (music)|Bhangra]]/[[Indi-pop]] song by [[India]]n [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] artist [[Daler Mehndi]], released in 1998. It was the first Indian music video made using [[Chroma key|chroma key]] technology.<ref name="bio-insight"/>

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.<ref name="billboard">{{cite journal |title=Bhangra Beat Transforms Indipop Scene |journal=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=25 September 1999 |volume=111 |issue=39 |page=101 |publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA101}}</ref> It later gained international success,<ref name="billboard"/> especially after it became an [[internet meme]] in the 2000s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rizwan|first1=Sahil|title=How Daler Mehndi's "Tunak Tunak Tun" Became A Global Viral Phenomenon|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/sahilrizwan/tunak-tunak-tun|accessdate=26 July 2017|agency=Buzzfeed|date=5 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=AnjaliGera|first1=Roy|title=Bhangra Moves: From Ludhiana to London and Beyond|date=2016|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|page=91|isbn=9781351574006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzArDwAAQBAJ&q=Bhangra%20Moves%3A%20From%20Ludhiana%20to%20London%20and%20Beyond&pg=PA91|accessdate=26 July 2017}}</ref>

==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]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Coffee Run!!! ft. Daler Mehndi! (4 minutes) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrRkNSP6UVY |website=[[YouTube]] |publisher=[[deadmau5]] |date=14 March 2014 |accessdate=5 December 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref name="bio-insight">{{cite web |title=Tunak Tunak Tun | work=dalermehndi.com | url=http://dalermehndi.com/albums_details.php?al_id=12&m_id=1 | accessdate=2011-04-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814064240/http://dalermehndi.com/albums_details.php?al_id=12&m_id=1 | archive-date=2011-08-14}}</ref>{{primary source inline|reason=Citation is Daler Mehndi's official website|date=February 2018}} The singer responded by creating a video that featured only himself. The music video was the first made in India using [[Chroma key|Bluescreen]] technology,<ref name="bio-insight"/> which allowed the singer to superimpose his image over various [[Computer-generated imagery|computer-generated]] backgrounds including desert and mountain landscapes as well as the [[St. Basil's Cathedral]].

The music video was produced on an [[List of most expensive music videos|unprecedented budget]] of {{INR|25 million|link=yes}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Better luck next time: Daler Mehndi |journal=[[Rashtriya Sahara]] |date=1998 |volume=6 |issue=7–12 |page=147 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7QJuAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Sahara India Mass Communication |quote=With sum of [[Indian rupee|Rs]] 2.5{{nbsp}}[[Crores]] Daler was supposed to make Music Video.}}</ref> ({{US$|{{#expr:25000000/41.259 round -4}}|long=no|link=yes}}),<ref>{{cite web |title=Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.FCRF?end=1998&locations=IN&start=1998 |website=[[World Bank]] |year=1997 |accessdate=5 December 2018}}</ref> equivalent to {{INR|{{Inflation|IN|25|1998}} million}} ({{US$|{{To USD|{{Inflation|IN|25|1998}}|IND}} million|long=no}}) adjusted for inflation.

==Music video==
The music video follows a simple plot about four men, all played by Mehndi, who represent the four [[classical element]]s 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 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 a seemingly more powerful being, who is predominantly clad in garb of gold and emerald.

As of February 19, 2021, the music video has received over {{nowrap|169 million}} views on the [[Sony Music India]] channel at [[YouTube]].<ref>{{YouTube|vTIIMJ9tUc8|Daler Mehndi - Tunak Tunak Tun Video}}</ref>

==Reception==
The song and the music video received a negative review from ''[[Rashtriya Sahara]]'' magazine in 1998.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Better luck next time: Daler Mehndi |journal=[[Rashtriya Sahara]] |date=1998 |volume=6 |issue=7–12 |page=147 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7QJuAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Sahara India Mass Communication}}</ref> Despite this, the song became an incredible commercial success in 1998, becoming the biggest [[Indi-pop]] hit at the time.<ref name="billboard"/>

==International popular culture==
By 1999, the song found an international cult following, particularly among the [[Desi|South Asian diaspora]] in countries such as the United Kingdom and United States, as well as in [[Far-Eastern]] markets such as Japan.<ref name="billboard"/> In China, it attained popularity for [[Soramimi|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").<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx8GemHcPPU|title = 我在东北玩泥巴}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://asiancorrespondent.com/35678/daler-mehndi-tunaks-his-way-into-world-of-warcraft/|title = Daler Mehndi Tunaks his way into World of Warcraft|publisher=asiancorrespondent.com/|date=18 March 2008 |accessdate= 22 July 2014}}</ref> This dance is also included as an easter egg in the video game ''[[Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Spearhead]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead Easter Egg - Make the Player Models Dance|url=http://www.eeggs.com/items/39029.html | publisher=The Easter Egg Archive | accessdate=27 January 2019 }}</ref>

==Chart performance==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1998-2016)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Belgium ([[Ultratop 50]] Flanders)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/17d2f5/Daler-Mehndi-Tunak-Tunak-Tun|title=Ultratop.be - Daler Mehndi - Tunak Tunak Tun|publisher=[[Ultratop]]|accessdate=2016-07-03}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|-
|India Hit Singles
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|Billboard World Digital Songs Sales Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Indian songs]]
[[Category:Viral videos]]
[[Category:Music memes]]
[[Category:Punjabi-language songs]]
[[Category:1998 songs]]
[[Category:Magnasound Records albums]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2006]]

Tunak Tunak Tun - Revision history

RomaineAchen489: small changes

imported>SunDawn: Reverted edits by 2406:3003:2060:36D1:40FA:99A0:E47A:D37E (talk) (HG) (3.4.10)