The Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation popularly known as Milma has embraced the two medical students who set the Internet on fire with their agile dancing steps.
In its latest advertisement, Milma has caricatured the dancing medico duo with an interesting caption. “When you set hearts on fire, Milma… to cool your inner self,” reads the advertisement.
Milma has brought smiles to thousands of people who celebrated the 30-second dance by Janaki Omkumar and Naveen K. Razak, third and fourth year MBBS students respectively of Government Medical College, Thrissur, to the tune of iconic 1978 Boney M song Rasputin.
Janaki-Razak’s electrifying dance with agile footwork had virtually set social media on fire. The duo dancing in scrubs in the corridor of the medical college house surgeon quarters continued to inspire thousands of youngsters, especially medical students.
“It’s a great video. They did the entire medical community who had suffered a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic proud. And the dance has been electrifying. Hats off to them,” said Shafeek Rahman, a house surgeon at MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna.
Many students responded by posting similar dancing videos on social media. However, the Janaki-Razak dance video invited criticisms and vilifying attacks from some sections of the Sangh Parivar who bitterly tried to raise the spectre of “Love Jihad”.
As the criticism grew, the support to the medical students too increased manifold. The Medical College Students Union posted a group dance video song in an apparent rebuttal for the displays of intolerance.
Milma’s action on Saturday is viewed by many as a “responsible one meant to spread the message of peace, harmony and love, and to dispel the feelings of hatred.”
“It is really good when public sector bodies like Milma respond with agility and light-heartedness to such contemporary social happenings. It spreads positivity, and helps kill the negative feelings unleashed by nationalist bigots,” said Anas Yasin, a Malayali journalist in Bahrain.
“I was thrilled to find Milma hooking on to the young medical students,” said Mr. Yasin.
By capturing the trending video, Milma has proved yet again that it is ahead of others in understanding people’s moods and sentiments. During the peak of COVID-19 pandemic last year, Milma surprised Malayalis across the world by borrowing the words of a 10-year-old Eranadan Malappuram boy as its catchphrase.
“Chelolthu sheriyavum, chelolthu sheriyavula. Pakshenkil chaaya ellarthum sheriyavum, paal Milma aanengil (some may get it right, some may not get it right. But tea will be fine for all if the milk is Milma),” Milma advertisement read in July 2020.
Milma had celebrated the little boy Mohammed Fayis after his two-minute video on paper flower making went viral on the social media. Milma showered him with gifts and gave his ₹10,000.
