Video: US Envoy Eric Garcetti Dances To Bhangra Beats At Embassy’s Diwali Bash

Last Updated:October 30, 2024, 16:11 IST

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti danced to the hit song, ‘Tauba Tauba’, from the Vicky Kaushal-starrer ‘Bad Newz’. He was decked up in Indian ethnic wear matched with a pair of sneakers and sunglasses

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti displayed his dancing skills at the embassy’s Diwali celebrations. (Image: ANI/video grab)

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti once again displayed his dancing skills at the American embassy’s Diwali celebrations, grooving to the tunes of a popular Bollywood number and dhol beats. He tried some well-known Bhangra moves, decked up in Indian ethnic wear matched with a pair of sneakers and sunglasses.

In a video by news agency ANI, he is seen dancing to the tune of Tauba Tauba from the Vikcy Kaushal-starrer Bad Newz that practically put the actor in the so-called dancing hall of fame.

The 53-year-old Garcetti surprised with his adeptness at picking up Bhangra, which is a tough traditional folk dance form requiring intense cardio. While he performed some of the simpler moves, he seemed comfortable in his dancing shoes while being front and centre on the stage.

This is not the first time the US envoy has shown off his Bollywood dance skills. In the past, too, he has danced to the hit song Chaiyya Chaiyya, which featured superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora grooving to composer AR Rahman’s beats on top of a train. The song, which came out in 1998, was a part of the album for Mani Ratnam directorial Dil Se.

US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HOSTS DIWALI CELEBRATION AT WHITE HOUSE

US President Joe Biden hosted a Diwali celebration at the White House that was attended by more than 600 eminent Indian Americans, including Congressmen, officials, and corporate executives, from across the country.

The event took place on October 28, where Biden said, “As President, I’ve been honoured to host the biggest Diwali receptions ever at the White House. To me, it means a great deal. As Senator, Vice President, and President, South Asian-Americans have been key members of my staff. From Kamala to Dr Murthy to so many of you here today, I’m proud that I kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America.”

This is Biden’s last Diwali celebration in his capacity as the president at the White House. He is not running for the next week’s presidential polls. Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady Dr Jill Biden could not attend the event as they were on the campaign trail.

His remarks were preceded by Vice Admiral Vivek H Murthy, US Surgeon General; Sunita Williams, retired naval officer and NASA astronaut who sent a recorded video message from the International Space Station (ISS), and Shrusti Amula, Indian-American youth activist, who introduced the president.

“In late November 2016, a dark cloud formed from hate and hostility toward immigrants, including South Asian Americans. We hear once again in 2024. It was then that Jill and I hosted the first Diwali reception and it was at the Vice President’s residence. An Irish Catholic President, Vice President at the time, opened our home for holiday celebrations by Hindus, Buddhists, Jainists, Sikhs, and more. How America reminds us all of our power to be the light, all of us,” he said.

The President, who lit the formal diya in the Blue Room of the White House, said the South Asian American community has enriched every part of American life. “That’s the truth. That is among the fastest-growing, most engaged communities in the country you are now,” he said.

He added: “On this day in America, we think about that journey of light. Early in our nation’s founding, a generation before, diya (was) in the shadow of suspicion. Now is a time, Diwali is celebrated openly and proudly here in the White House. We also know today, we face an inflection point.”

(With PTI inputs)