When TikTok was banned by most nations as a backlash to the alleged biowarfare waged by China, Instagram launched “Reels” in August 2020. What began as a mini clip restricted to 15 seconds, soon took over as a 60-second binge.
With the lockdown and WFH life imposed by the pandemic, people took to the screen, either to be on it or to be with it. In fact, WHO Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom, also took to Reels to capsule his take on measures to prevent spread of the virus. And hence, Reels gained popularity during the latter half of 2020. The year saw 6 million Reels per day from the country. Obviously, people were trying to cope with the lockdown, which impacted not just the income but also the collective mental health of the population.
However, when, where and how notwithstanding, TikTok was back with a bang after a brief vanishing act. Badshah’s Jugnu or more recently, Chaka Chak from Atrangi Re, have reinstated the prima dona of binge watch as TikTok.
Here’s a round-up of what kept Reels moving and what’s keeping TikTok on top:
Bachpan ka Pyaar
The casual upload of 10-year-old Sahdev Dirdo singing for his teachers went viral on the internet. Not only did it garner instant likes and views, netizens also rolled out their own rendition. Among celebrities who walked the same talk were former Indian Idol and Bigg Boss contestant Rahul Vaidya and his wife actor Disha Parmar and comedian Bharti Singh.
Rapper Badshah surfed the trend with his music video on the number. Manforce Condoms, which rarely lets any viral trend slip by, wore the tagline bachpan aur jawani, dono ka pyaar.
Temperature, Bajre da Sitta’and Buss It
Among the early risers on the charts, Temperature, involved a gig or do being your wackiest best with family and friends. While some grooved to Sean Paul’s Temperature, others choreographed their act with props such as chappals and belans.
Then, Bajre da Sitta greeted any Insta user. A body transformation challenge with before-and-after pictures of people, fitness enthusiasts were among its most prolific followers.
For the Buss It challenge, celebrities glammed up to face the camera. And this one had Hina Khan, Kusha Kapila to Karan Sareen setting trends and millions in tow.
