How a 2001 Bollywood Song Birthed a Viral TikTok Trend

This month, your TikTok “For You” page likely features women from around the world doing makeup while lip-syncing to the song “San Sanana” from the 2001 Bollywood film Asoka. The final shot shows content creators resembling a South Asian bride, flaunting tikkas, jhumkas, and traditional wedding wear.

From Nigeria to Romania to the U.S., there’s already a name for the phenomenon — the #asokamakeup trend — and the participants seem to be multiplying. From buying the outfits to doing their makeup, filming the transitions, and splicing it all together, people are dedicating hours to producing these videos. So how did a song featuring Kareena Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan become the hottest thing on TikTok?