Band nahi bajaa? Check out the ‘silent baraat’ video going viral

Silent DJ parties has been a thing for a while now. Ever since 2016's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil popularised the "silent disco" concept in India where party-goers groove to the same song thanks to wireless headphones on their ears, it was the era of partying without disturbing the neighbours.

But while it might have been a hit on the party circuit, what about the wedding circuit? Is the Indian wedding party aka the crucial "baraat" ritual ready for its silent era? It seems like it is, if the viral video of one such wedding celebration is any indication.

Instagram user @shefooodie's viral video of a "New Age Silent Baraat" with the background track of Daler Mehndi's Bolo Tara rara shows her and wedding guests grooving to the song like any other enthusiastic baraatis.

The only difference? The song is being piped through their wireless headphones. The video is captioned "Never thought I'd be attending an Ae Dil hai Mushkil DJ party," before asking her followers, "Would you ever wish to be a part of such party??"

The viral video has already racked up over 7 lakh views with nearly 5000 comments, showing that India might be ready for wedding parties with all the fun but minus the noise. But not everybody is convinced either, considering the noise and "shor-sharaba" to be an integral part of the wedding festivities.

As one Instagram user put it, "Environment friendly wagera to thik but agr baraat Wale din bhi Shanti rahegi to idk why but meko to vibe nhi aane wali typical baraat vibes." ("Environment-friendly is fine and all but if we are quiet and peaceful even on the day of the wedding, how will you get the right vibes?")

Another wondered if a bunch people of dancing on the streets without any music would look crazy, saying, "People be like: pagal hogye. but it's a good idea for environment."

Another comment highlighted more practical concerns, stating, "ladkiyon ko heavy earning (sic) k saath headphones kaise manage hua?" ("How did the girls manage to wear headphones with heavy earrings?")

One user vetoed the idea entirely, saying, "Bhai kyu karna hai yeh sab modernisation ke naam pe bhai baarat road se nikalti h toh uske music sun ke baki sabko bhi Khushi hoti h kuch chize purani tarike se hi ho toh achi h." ("Bro, why are you doing all this in the name of modernization? When a baraat goes out, other people listen to the music and feel happy too. Some things are better done in the old ways only.")

But another Instagram user, replying to this comment, pointed out, "sabko apni shadi me shor sharaba pasand he lekin dusro ki shaadi me nhi moreover m in full support of this idea agar kisi student ka exam ho n paas me baraat ya shadi ho uske Dil se gaali niklegi lol. in today's time nobody wants to be bothered by anyone." (Everyone likes noise and the hullabaloo during their own wedding but not during someone else's. Moreover, I'm in full support of this idea if there are students' exams. They will curse a noisy baraat if it disturbs them. In today's time nobody wants to be bothered by anyone.")

So what do you think? Can silent baraats ever become a thing in India?