After Kiki challenge, another ‘trend’ has gripped the youth in Kerala, giving headache to the police. If you see young people jump in front of vehicles on the road – yes, you read it right – don’t panic. They might be taking part in the Nillu Nillu challenge of Tik Tok, a video broadcasting app.
A few months ago, the Kiki challenge was the craze among the youth world over, which involved people jumping out of a moving vehicle and dancing. It has been a while since the Kiki challenge faded out, and now videos of the Nillu Nillu challenge are flooding the social media. The challenge involves a group of people, carrying dry leaves (for unknown reasons) or wearing helmets, jumping in front of moving vehicles or people and dancing to a Malayalam film song, Nillu Nillu. The challenge began with a group of youngsters making videos after jumping in front of two-wheelers, often ridden by their friends, and sharing them on social media. But people have taken it to a riskier level by jumping in front of buses and even trains, where a disaster was somehow averted.
Jassie Gift
The Nillu Nillu song – the words mean 'stop, stop' – was composed by Jassie Gift in 2004 for the movie Rain Rain Come Again. Jassie stole the hearts of Malayalis with the popular number Lajjavathiye from the super hit movie 4 The People. He has composed many other super hit fast numbers. “The success of a song cannot be predicted," says a surprised Jassie. "We can't say which one will strike a chord with the audience and which one won't. All the same, it is a wonder that this song has become a hit after 14 years, that too on another platform. I am happy that the song has come back in its original form,” he says, and adds a word of caution for the youth. “I understand that their intention is doing something fun, but they should not get into a dangerous game. What we should see and do is the positive side and do not get into the negatives," Jassie says, and advises them to find happiness without disturbing others.
As the challenge is reaching a dangerous level, the Kerala police have put a post on their Facebook page warning people not to invite trouble by performing the Nillu Nillu challenge in a dangerous way. The Tik tok app is popular among youngsters and they are finding new ways to go viral. Initially, the youths started to make Tik tok videos by dancing in front of two- wheelers, but now they are doing it in front of four-wheelers and buses which is an absolute risk to lives. These kinds of videos, even though made with an intention to have fun, can invite danger and should not be encouraged,” says SI Arun. "Fun is enjoyed by everyone, until someone gets hurt or it causes public nuisance," he adds.
