To
His Excellency Hon. Sri Araghchi-ji
Foreign Minister of Iran
Subject: Permission for ‘Chogada Taara’ group dance in Strait of Hormuz
Respected Sir,
First of all, thank you so much for allowing several Indian ships — especially those carrying LPG cylinders — to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz. On behalf of billions of fellow Indians and their 100% democratically elected government, I express our collective appreciation for your understanding.
I am aware that Your Excellency must be busy with war and stuff. But tell me, sir: have you never wanted to dance like crazy in an exotic location and post the video on social media? My friends in Iran tell me you really like the song ‘Kaala Chashma’ from the film Baar Baar Dekho (2016). Is it true? We also love it. But let me first introduce myself.
My name is Mehul, affectionately known as Mehul-bhai. I am the Chief Convenor, Secretary-General, and Tour Operator of India Abroad Dance Service (IADS). We are in the business of helping Indian tourists (me included) perform choreographed group dances in unexpected locations and posting the reels, which then go viral.
You may have seen our recent garba dance on the airport tarmac in Vietnam next to a VietJet Air plane. The video got10 million views in two days. As a result, millions of people all over the world are booking tickets to this airport, bringing more business, more tourism, and more prosperity to Vietnam. I’m sure you’ve seen our performance of ‘Chhaiyya Chhaiyya’, chosen specifically for Hanoi’s Train Street. We have also performed ‘Shaitan ka Saala’ at the Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., ‘Naatu Naatu’ on top of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, and ‘Kanja Poovu Kannala’ at 10 Downing Street, London.
We have danced on board the Tokyo Metro, in the forests of Amazon, and on the ice fields of Antarctica. There is no place on Earth we haven’t livened up with our Bluetooth speakers, except one, and since March, it’s become a popular demand: the Strait of Hormuz.
Sir, I humbly request for full permission (and full safety) for our small cruise ship to transit for 10 minutes inside the Strait of Hormuz — just long enough for us to do our group dance to the super-hit track Chogada taara (English translation: I’m your stylish lover) from the 2018 Hindi film Loveyatri (or love traveller). It’s the all-time favourite of Indians dancing abroad. I’m sure you’re familiar with it. In case you’re not, you can learn the steps by watching the video on YouTube, where its view count is 106 million — more than your country’s population.
Sir, perhaps you are wondering about some negative remarks against us on social media. I can assure you it is all racist nonsense. They are targeting Indians purely out of jealousy because we recently became Vishwaguru. As you are aware, after zero and zero press conference, Bollywood group dance is India’s biggest contribution to world civilisation. Our greatest blockbusters have songs where the hero, heroine and extras dance in Switzerland, Scotland, and in front of each of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was after watching our film stars’ glorious dance performances all over the world that I started IADS.
Today, IADS has grown into a group of 75 eminent tourists who have visited and performed at airports, parking lots, river cruises, and promenades in over 235 countries in the last 12 years — all on an Indian passport. For this achievement, I have been recognised with dozens of awards, including the Order of the Phoenix of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and more recently, the Grand Cross of the Viking Order of Merit, the second highest civilian award of Norway.
I assure you that our ship won’t carry anything suspicious — no oil, spies, or any other non-veg items — and we’ll maintain safe distance from all security installations. Speaking of security, in the ‘Chogada Taara’ video, there is a sequence where two policemen join the dance. In case your soldiers are interested, we shall be pleased to accommodate two IRGC officers in our dance group, provided they are in their official uniform.
Another small request: During the dance performance, whenever the refrain Ore rangila taara comes, we would like your esteemed navy to shoot a small missile into the sky — not too close to our ship, but close enough so that it comes in the frame in the background. That way, nobody will doubt us when we say we did Bollywood group dance in the Strait of Hormuz.
Thanking you in anticipation of your kind co-operation,
Mehul-bhai
The author of this satire is Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.
Published – June 04, 2026 07:00 am IST
