Bagpipers Go Viral For Surprising King Charles With Bollywood Tunes In Royal Performance
Bollywood is already known for being over-indulgent with self-references, but this might be it’s most meta moment yet.
The Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band, which combines traditional Scottish instruments with Indian themes and songs, greeted King Charles at the 2025 Commonwealth Day celebration at Westminster Abbey with renditions of “Dhoom Machale” and “Teri Meri Prem Kahaani” from the films Dhoom and Bodyguard. TikTok user @asthaluitel shared BBC’s coverage of the festivities, below:
The holiday, which is meant to commemorate and celebrate the diversity among its nations was attended by the royal family, including King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
In an ironic twist, the band chose a theme from the famed Dhoom franchise, whose second installment includes a wild, far-fetched train heist, where lead actor, Hrithik Roshan, cross dresses as Queen Elizabeth II.
Likely a coincidence, and not the reason for the song selection, the tune sounds like it was almost meant to be played on the pipes. This is just one more example within a long history of how these cultures intersect with one another. It’s no wonder the unofficial dish of the UK is chicken tikka masala.
