Then, 2016 happened. The age of the meme.

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Before discussing the nuts and bolts of the track, one must understand the film Gippi . Unlike the glamorous, adult-centric world Dharma was known for ( Kuch Kuch Hota Hai , Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna ), Gippi was a small-budget, teen-focused film about body image, high school politics, and growing up in the hills of Simla.

The choreography, handled by Mudassar Khan, is deliberately off-kilter. It’s not about sharp angles or pelvic thrusts; it’s about jerky arm movements, enthusiastic finger-pointing, and a "running man" that looks more like a toddler who has had too much sugar. Legend has it (via behind-the-scenes clips) that Shukla was deeply embarrassed and confused on day one. She couldn't stop laughing. Instead of suppressing this, Nair and Khan leaned into it. They told her to stop trying to be sexy and start trying to be excited . The result is a performance of pure, unhinged glee. The "making of" footage reveals a set that was less a professional soundstage and more a summer camp: Shukla giggling between takes, the backup dancers (dressed like neon aliens from a galactic hair salon) messing up on purpose, and Jigar himself sneaking in to play a percussion break.

To understand the making of the song, one must first understand the vision of director Sachin Kundalkar. Aiyyaa was a film about a Marathi girl, Meenakshi, who possesses a hyper-sensitive sense of smell and an obsession with dark-skinned men, specifically those resembling Surya, a Tamil artist.

The most fascinating element of the song’s making is its star: a very young, non-dancer actress named Riya Shukla, who played the fantasy version of Gippi. In any other production, a song of this nature would be handed to a seasoned item-dance specialist. Here, the director leaned into the awkwardness.