In a very unexpected coming together of high-end engineering and Bollywood pop culture, a humanoid robot stole the show at IIT Bombay Techfest 2025. A rhythmic performance to the viral hit 'Fa9la' (Sher-e-Baloch) has swept the internet, earning for the star robot an affectionate sobriquet, "Chitti Dakait" from mesmerized netizens.
What was to be a routine technical demonstration at Asia's largest science and technology festival turned into a complete spectacle as the robot matched the infectious Arabic beats with uncanny fluidity, sending a crowd of students and tech enthusiasts into raptures.
Robot Meets Rhythm: The Performance
Moving past the usual rigid motions associated with robotics, this humanoid presented postures and rhythm much like that of humans. The performance was a tribute to the signature moves of Akshaye Khanna from the Bollywood blockbuster Dhurandhar by director Aditya Dhar.
It was not only a balancing and coordination display but also a statement of how far AI and creative coding have come. In minutes of its act, the clips flooded Instagram and YouTube; viewers were surprised as to how the robot captured the "aura" of the song’s choreography.
Humanoid robot dances to 'Fa9la' at IIT Bombay Techfest 2025. Looks like Trump's H-1B ban is making Indian engineers innovate at home. pic.twitter.com/poul0YF7US
— Rakesh Krishnan Simha (@ByRakeshSimha) December 26, 2025
Netizens React: From "Chitti Dakait" To Akshaye Khanna
Social media comments went all the way as it became a playground of humor and pop-culture nostalgia:
The New 'Chitti': The iconic character of Rajinikanth has been referred to as "Chitti Dakait" by fans for the performer.
The Competition: One user joked, "Finally! Akshaye Khanna isn’t the only one anymore, competition is here."
Skeptics: Others remained loyal to the human element, saying, “No amount of technology is as good as humans. Akshaye Khanna is irreplaceable.”
The Payback: One joked, in the light of those iconic robotic testing videos: “This is what decades of kicking Boston Dynamics bots has led to.”
A Global Stage For The Hits Across Locals
The choice of music—‘Fa9la’ by Bahrain-based rapper Flipperachi-points to the global reach of the track featuring stars Ranveer Singh and R Madhavan in addition to Khanna. In choosing a song at the top of the Indian charts, Techfest 2025 remarkably managed to bridge a gap between difficult robotics and mainstream relatability.
