It would have been supremely challenging to scroll through social media feeds over the last one week, without catching a glimpse of two scrub-clad medical students stylishly shaking their legs to Boney M’s track Rasputin. After all, it was a casual video made by two students in the less-occupied top floor of their campus in the Thrissur medical college, Kerala. But what’s caught people’s fancy so much and what’s the story behind more and more medical students grooving to this track?
Dance enthusiasts Janaki Omkumar and Naveen Razak are pursing their third and final year MBBS, but their love for dance is more than evident from a casual scroll of their now-famous Instagram feeds. Amid their hectic schedule, the duo decided to put a dance video of a track that they had come across on the internet.
“Both of us liked that particular song, so, after classes, we casually shot it” Janaki says, adding that the 30-second video was made in a matter of two hours and shot on a friend’s phone.
“We shot it and posted on Instagram as a reel, after that it was circulated on medical and alumni groups. Then my relatives from the US started calling me... Then I knew that it had some reach.. After few famous social media pages started sharing the video, it got really viral” she told Zee media.
Since the video went viral, Janaki and Naveen are flooded with calls, messages and requests for interviews, so much so that, Naveen had to switch off the mobile number that was made available to the media.
As their video started reaching far and wide, trouble was brewing in their home state, after some individuals posted objections comments about the young duo. But that didn’t deter the duo or their spirits, which had serious backing from Kerala’s society at large. The student community, medical college students, alumni and many more such groups started posting similar dance videos, in support of the Naveen and Janaki.
When asked about the objectionable comments, the duo maintain that they belong to the new generation and would not wish to respond to them and don’t find such comments worth engaging with. The dancing duo have not only become a social media sensation, their steps have inspired the Kerala government too. In the state government’s latest video promoting vaccination - the animated versions of Covishield and Covaxin, (both of which are administered in India) are seen shaking a leg.
Social media users were quick to laud the tired-looking medical students for their efforts to perform their duties and pursue their passion, amid their hectic schedules. The video also provides hope and cheer, at a time when the medical fraternity is facing a challenging time, owing to the raging pandemic.
In more recent clips posted on Instagram, the duo are seen expressing best wishes and thanks to IMA MSN(medical students fraternity) for undertaking the Rasputin dance challenge.
