From bhajans to bhaashans: Political slogans are the new club bangers

Just when you thought bhajan clubbing was the thing, bhaashan clubbing has hit the dance floors, hard. Kolkata clubs are rocking to hardcore remixes of Mamata Banerjee's 'Humba humba rumba rumba kamba kamba', those supposedly bovine word-sounds she had made so meme-rable at a 2021 rally to ridicule party colleagues leaving for BJP. Now, heavy boom'n'bass versions of 'Humba humba' are rocking the Bengal capital's nightclubs. We need to scale things up to make the rest of India humba rumba to political slogans remixed as the soundtrack of sweaty Saturday nights.

If the huge popularity of 'Humba humba' is any indication, it's only a matter of time when 'Mitron' is chopped into a techno drop, and 'Achhe din' echoes over a deep house groove. 'Make America Great Again' can be reworked into a pounding four-on-the-floor beat, climaxing with the already huge Mayur Jumani x Trump 'Vivekamunand' hit mashup. Political slogans are already designed to be memorable, repetitive and emotionally charged. In other words, they're perfect for spin doctors with turntables who'd give a new twist to the term 'dance of democracy'. Let the club become the new parliament, the DJ the new whip, and the crowd the electorate - voting with feet, hips and cocktails. And please, please, please, don't take offence. If anything, it's about celebrating our poli pop stars.