New Delhi: There was a time when family gatherings had that one enthusiastic uncle who, after a glass or two of something stronger, would insist on singing Chingari Koi Bhadke with deep emotion and dubious accuracy. Today, that same uncle-types have discovered karaoke apps, WhatsApp, and an audience that cannot escape with polite excuses.

There is something brewing in the world of WhatsApp groups, and it isn’t just the usual forwarded wisdom, political debates, and unsolicited health tips. No, a new wave of performance art has taken centre stage—middle-aged and beyond-middle-aged men discovering their inner Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, or even Rajesh Khanna. Armed with karaoke tracks, a deep sense of nostalgia, and a questionable grasp of sur, they are flooding social media with heartfelt but often besura renditions of classic songs.

And what do we, the audience, do? We applaud. We send emojis. We comment with exaggerated enthusiasm—“Wah, wah! What a voice!”—even when what we really mean is “Wah, wah! What a noise!” Because let’s be honest, we cannot be the villain in someone’s golden years. If a man over fifty has taken the trouble to belt out an old song, record it, and share it with his friends, it would be cruel to tell him that even the most forgiving auto-tune cannot save his performance.

But why is this happening?

Is it a midlife crisis?

A need for validation?

A deep-seated regret of not auditioning for Indian Idol in 2004?

Perhaps it is all of the above. There comes a time in life when the world stops........

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