Bollywood, especially Pritam Chakraborty, was in for a pleasant surprise when synchronised Mexican swimmers Karem Achach and Nuria Diosdado chose the ace musician's hit track "Aila Re Aila" to perform their routine at the ongoing Rio Olympics.
The desi junta clued into the prestigious sporting event were left mesmerized as the 25-year-old Mexicans did an impressive 2.20-minute routine on the fast-paced song from the Akshay Kumar-starrer Khatta Meetha (2010) sung by Daler Mehndi.
Insiders reveal that Pritam was amazed to know that his music has been making a wider impact internationally than he had even imagined. What he was more thrilled about was that the Mexican duo performed the number on 15th August, that is on Independence Day. The hit music-maker of films like "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and "Dilwale" is currently working on the music of Kabir Khan's Salman Khan starrer "Tubelight."
This isn't the first time when Bollywood made its presence felt at an international sporting event. In 2010, American figure skaters and defending champion, Charlie White and Meryl Davis, returned to the US Figure Skating championship with a medley of Bollywood songs that opened with "Kajrare" from "Bunty Aur Babli," and "Silsila" and "Dola Re" from "Devdas."
In 2007, Maureen Ibanez and Neil Brown of France chose "Bole Chudiyan" from "Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham" for their Junior World Championship in Bulgaria. More recently, Russians Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov performed on "Dhol Baje" from "Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram Leela" at the European Figure Skating Championships in Slovak Republic.