With millions of posts flooding social media every day, viral moments in India emerge with striking regularity. From pop culture and sport to space and royalty, 2025 delivered a series of clips and images that made the country pause, cheer, laugh and debate.
One of the most talked-about moments came in May, when Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan made his debut at the Met Gala. Videos of him walking the red carpet drew an ecstatic response from fans across the world. The event’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” focused on menswear, and Khan appeared in a bespoke ensemble by Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, complete with a cane, statement jewellery and sunglasses. Many fans wondered why the global icon had not attended the fashion event earlier, but agreed that the long-awaited appearance was worth the wait.
In March, an unexpected musical choice at Westminster Abbey also set Indian social media abuzz. As King Charles and the Royal Family arrived for the Commonwealth Day service, a pipe band struck up Dhoom Machale, a hit Bollywood track from the 2004 film Dhoom. The performance, by the Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band—known for blending Indian and Scottish music while dressed in full Scottish regalia—quickly went viral, delighting viewers with its cultural crossover.
Sport delivered one of the year’s most emotional viral moments in November, when India’s women’s cricket team defeated South Africa to win their first Women’s World Cup. As captain Harmanpreet Kaur took the final catch following Deepti Sharma’s decisive wicket, celebrations erupted at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium and spilled onto streets across the country. A video shared by the International Cricket Council captured the historic moment, racking up nearly 90 million views on Instagram and symbolising a landmark achievement for women’s cricket in India.
India’s presence on the global stage was also underscored in June, when astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station. Piloting Axiom Mission 4, Shukla’s journey was followed by thousands worldwide. Clips he shared from space—including a demonstration of changing a camera lens in zero gravity—attracted tens of millions of views. Only the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984, Shukla returned home to a hero’s welcome, calling his mission a reflection of an “ambitious, fearless and confident” India.
Chess fans, meanwhile, were captivated by a dramatic moment at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament in June. Teen prodigy and reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen, prompting an uncharacteristic outburst from the Norwegian grandmaster, who slammed the table before offering a brief handshake. The incident went viral, spawning countless recreations and memes. While Carlsen later praised Gukesh’s resilience, he remarked that on a “normal day” the result might have been different.
Together, these moments formed a snapshot of a year when India’s cultural influence, sporting triumphs and global ambitions repeatedly took centre stage online. (Source: BBC)
