It started with a dance. A group of Indian employees swaying in synchrony to the Telugu track Killi Killi, welcoming a foreign client with coordinated steps and cheerful energy. One employee even broke into a solo performance to the Bollywood song Main Tera Boyfriend, drawing applause from colleagues and smiles from the visitor, who later joined the group in the routine.
The video, now viral across Reddit and X, was meant to be a moment of celebration. Instead, it lit a fuse.
"India should stop chaprification"
The clip, posted by the X account Woke Eminent, came with a scathing caption, "India should stop chaprification of corporate offices. This is so pathetic to see Indian girls dancing in office and welcoming a foreign client and the bechara (poor) client also forced to dance. Such showcasing will only make other countries feel Indian offices are casual and not worthy of serious work."
Reactions were swift. Many criticised the gesture as tone-deaf and unprofessional. One user wrote,
“This is embarrassing. They need to stop this random dance scene. The dance itself isn’t good and the optics are much worse.”
Another said, “Submissiveness is a state of mind. To foreigners, politicians, bureaucracy, or even business magnates.”
A third added, “Servants in front of their boss,” calling the act "cheap and vulgar."
And it didn’t stop there.
“This is terrible and cringe! I've been part of companies that call these ‘all-hands’ and ‘celebration’ but it’s a really pathetic mockery of people and talent,” one user commented.
Deeper issues, beyond the dance
The criticism spilled beyond the performance, touching a nerve about power and hierarchy in Indian office spaces. One user wrote, “The first step is to stop calling people in a professional environment ‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’. Native English speakers seldom use that at work. This ‘thanks for giving us work, we’re now your slaves’ attitude should stop.”
Several echoed this view, pointing out how such behaviour reflects deeper insecurities and outdated attitudes.
One user shared, “It’s the slave mentality ingrained in our blood. Forget Americans, people behave ridiculously even around Russians who are not even that rich, due to their light skin! It’s a result of hundreds of years of slavery that we have become hard-wired to just perceive them as superior, without considering facts.”
Others recalled personal experiences.
“I hate it! We used to be told to wear ethnic to welcome our guests (gora leaders). I deliberately never followed the advice. None of our other Asian colleagues indulge in such tomfoolery. It’s a uniquely Indian habit of acting like clowns to suck up to white people,” a user wrote.
An Indian-origin professional, now living in the US, shared his frustration in a Reddit post that struck a chord:
"I recently saw a video where Indian employees were dancing/performing for a gora visiting their office. I found it extremely embarrassing. Why do we feel the need to put on a performance every time a white colleague visits an office in India? Please have some self-respect and stop doing these things. Have you ever seen colleagues in other countries do this?"
While praising Indian professionals for their strong work ethic, he added that these displays were “stupid” and “gimmicky.”
Not everyone sees a problem
Despite the strong backlash, not all responses were critical. Some defended the gesture as a positive expression of culture and hospitality.
“Happens everywhere across the world. Roles reversed as well. In every country. And helps a long way,” said one commenter.
Another added, “This is done in most workplaces to break the fatigue of sitting behind a desk and doing a mental reset. It helps with the physical as well as mental wellbeing of these workers.”
Others argued that these events help build camaraderie, lighten the mood, and make clients feel welcome.
This isn't just about a dance video anymore. It’s about how Indian offices present themselves, how much cultural performance is acceptable, and where the line is drawn between warm hospitality and performative subservience.
One user summed up the concern sharply, "Nothing screams we're not serious louder than making a foreign client do bhangra at a Q4 review. We've got world-class engineers writing billion-dollar code and HR's out here rehearsing flash mobs for client visits."
Another wrote, "This person will go back and announce layoffs understanding how many extra people he hired."
What might have seemed like a harmless act of goodwill has opened up a larger debate about how Indian workplaces see themselves and how they’re seen by others.
The conversation, uncomfortable as it may be, reflects a deeper desire to shift office culture away from old habits and towards something more self-assured.
The video, now viral across Reddit and X, was meant to be a moment of celebration. Instead, it lit a fuse.
"India should stop chaprification"
The clip, posted by the X account Woke Eminent, came with a scathing caption, "India should stop chaprification of corporate offices. This is so pathetic to see Indian girls dancing in office and welcoming a foreign client and the bechara (poor) client also forced to dance. Such showcasing will only make other countries feel Indian offices are casual and not worthy of serious work."
India should stop chaprification of corporate offices
— Woke Eminent (@WokePandemic) July 21, 2025
This is so pathetic to see Indian girls dancing in office an d welcoming a foreign client and the becahra client also forced to dance.
Such showcasing will only make other countries feel Indian offices are causal and not… pic.twitter.com/gpA9kXY4GJ
Reactions were swift. Many criticised the gesture as tone-deaf and unprofessional. One user wrote,
“This is embarrassing. They need to stop this random dance scene. The dance itself isn’t good and the optics are much worse.”
Another said, “Submissiveness is a state of mind. To foreigners, politicians, bureaucracy, or even business magnates.”
A third added, “Servants in front of their boss,” calling the act "cheap and vulgar."
And it didn’t stop there.
“This is terrible and cringe! I've been part of companies that call these ‘all-hands’ and ‘celebration’ but it’s a really pathetic mockery of people and talent,” one user commented.
Deeper issues, beyond the dance
The criticism spilled beyond the performance, touching a nerve about power and hierarchy in Indian office spaces. One user wrote, “The first step is to stop calling people in a professional environment ‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’. Native English speakers seldom use that at work. This ‘thanks for giving us work, we’re now your slaves’ attitude should stop.”
Several echoed this view, pointing out how such behaviour reflects deeper insecurities and outdated attitudes.
One user shared, “It’s the slave mentality ingrained in our blood. Forget Americans, people behave ridiculously even around Russians who are not even that rich, due to their light skin! It’s a result of hundreds of years of slavery that we have become hard-wired to just perceive them as superior, without considering facts.”
Others recalled personal experiences.
“I hate it! We used to be told to wear ethnic to welcome our guests (gora leaders). I deliberately never followed the advice. None of our other Asian colleagues indulge in such tomfoolery. It’s a uniquely Indian habit of acting like clowns to suck up to white people,” a user wrote.
An Indian-origin professional, now living in the US, shared his frustration in a Reddit post that struck a chord:
"I recently saw a video where Indian employees were dancing/performing for a gora visiting their office. I found it extremely embarrassing. Why do we feel the need to put on a performance every time a white colleague visits an office in India? Please have some self-respect and stop doing these things. Have you ever seen colleagues in other countries do this?"
While praising Indian professionals for their strong work ethic, he added that these displays were “stupid” and “gimmicky.”
Not everyone sees a problem
Despite the strong backlash, not all responses were critical. Some defended the gesture as a positive expression of culture and hospitality.
“Happens everywhere across the world. Roles reversed as well. In every country. And helps a long way,” said one commenter.
Another added, “This is done in most workplaces to break the fatigue of sitting behind a desk and doing a mental reset. It helps with the physical as well as mental wellbeing of these workers.”
Others argued that these events help build camaraderie, lighten the mood, and make clients feel welcome.
This isn't just about a dance video anymore. It’s about how Indian offices present themselves, how much cultural performance is acceptable, and where the line is drawn between warm hospitality and performative subservience.
One user summed up the concern sharply, "Nothing screams we're not serious louder than making a foreign client do bhangra at a Q4 review. We've got world-class engineers writing billion-dollar code and HR's out here rehearsing flash mobs for client visits."
Another wrote, "This person will go back and announce layoffs understanding how many extra people he hired."
What might have seemed like a harmless act of goodwill has opened up a larger debate about how Indian workplaces see themselves and how they’re seen by others.
The conversation, uncomfortable as it may be, reflects a deeper desire to shift office culture away from old habits and towards something more self-assured.
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