A Bollywood throwback is resurfacing on social media this week as thousands of TikTok users participate in the viral “Asoka” makeup trend.
The trend takes inspiration from a 2001 Hindi film of the same name, and it has creators styling themselves in Indian bridal hair, makeup and outfits to the beat of one of the movie’s songs. Creators of several cultural backgrounds are partaking, many amassing tens of millions of views and likes.
“Asoka,” which stars Bollywood heavy hitters Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, tells a fictionalized story based on the ancient Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great, who ruled in the Indian subcontinent during the third century B.C.E.
The movie showcases what are meant to be ancient Indian styles of dress and makeup, including dark eyeliner and geometric patterns drawn on the face and body. Though modern Indian bridal wear isn’t used in the movie, the bright colors, bold eyes, dramatic makeup and gold jewelry have become the main pull of the Asoka trend.
On TikTok, creators use transitions to document styling their look, getting ready to the beat of “Asoka” song “San Sanana.”
Some South Asian creators have taken the Asoka trend one step further, not only recreating the modern bridal looks, but also the traditional ones used throughout the film.
Some said they want to see more of that.
“I just want one person to do that Asoka transition trend with the actual makeup Kareena had in the film and not Asian bridal because as impressive as it is what is the correlation,” one person said on X.
The attention the trend is gaining across the world is bringing more people to the original “Asoka” movie too, with dozens of new comments appearing under the “San Sanana” video on YouTube.
“Who else is here because of TikTok makeup video?” said one comment, which has 39,000 likes.
Some TikTok users from other parts of the world said this trend is their first exposure to Hindi music. Many shared a similar sentiment in the comments: they’re now Bollywood fans.
