Asoka makeup challenge: Why are TikTokers suddenly obsessed with a 2001 cult Bollywood film?
Bollywood is having a moment on social media.
If you’ve been on Instagram or TikTok of late, chances are high that you’ve either scrolled past or watched at least one video of users trying the #AsokaMakeup trend.
Content creators are now lip-syncing to lyrics of the song “San Sanana” from the 2001 Bollywood film Asoka while creating intricate looks in full South Asian bridal regalia.
Asoka is a heavily dramatised retelling of the life of Mauryan emperor Asoka, who ruled over a vast expanse of the Indian subcontinent in the third century BC, played by Shah Rukh Khan. Kareena Kapoor plays Kaurwaki, a princess with whom Asoka falls in love.
The film’s costume designer Anu Vardhan, while admitting she took liberties with the costumes for the film, said her research led her to discover that body art was used liberally in Asoka’s time and chose to incorporate it in the way Kaurwaki dressed.
The Asoka(Hindi Film) Makeup trend that started in Thailand and now has a chokehold on the Southeast Asian community pic.twitter.com/TLLWO4kpAp
— Gav 🇵🇸 (@Gavreel03) April 23, 2024
Clearly Vardhan did something right, because Kaurwaki’s makeup inspired content creators to experiment with and recreate the look.
I know it’s not a competition, but Jharna Bhagwani won the Asoka trend for me. The transition is super smooth. pic.twitter.com/OxBucDD4tz
— 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙦𝙛𝙖𝙝𝙢𝙞𝙚 ⛺️🍉🐝 (@faliqfahmie) April 21, 2024
What is particularly intriguing about this trend is that it goes beyond recreating looks from the film. It is now seeing beauty enthusiasts from all over the world create detailed South Asian bridal looks, both modern and traditional.
So I did the trending TikTok Asoka challenge but the male and female version because I can.☺️ pic.twitter.com/2pMOv7QexS
— Harley knows you are lonely and so she (@miss_ezeani) April 19, 2024
obsessed with this asoka trend rn pic.twitter.com/8E2U2L1XxC
— bapsi (✿◠‿◠) (@alabapsi) April 19, 2024
กระแต อาร์สยามทำดีเกินนน ตอนภาพตัดมาเป็นพระแม่คือจังหวะดีมาก ทรวดทรงองค์เอว หูตาไปหมด สวยมาก pic.twitter.com/YZpSyqkdZf
— เจ๊แต๋ว (@yamyummy) April 24, 2024
ควีนพี่หลินกับเทรน Asoka สวยมากกก pic.twitter.com/x2ilIe20mB
— A e y y ◡̈ (@aeyy04m) April 22, 2024
The trend’s appeal has drawn attention to the original film and song, as is clear from the comment section on YouTube.
“Who else is here because of TikTok makeup video?” asks one user while another points that the song “is trending after 23 years of release”.