Canada's Conservatives Use 'Desi' Music Video To Attract Indo-Canadian Votes
Tax cuts and foreign policy typically don't make for ideal lyrical subject matter for Indian dance numbers, but that hasn't deterred Canada's Conservative Party from sharing a new music video that urges Indo-Canadians to re-elect Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The video begins on a somber note with a poignant Hindi exchange about the importance of understanding one's values and respecting one's culture and traditions -- something you might expect to hear in an emotionally charged Bollywood scene rather than an election campaign video.
An uplifting and anthemic song then kicks in, with such lyrical gems as "He brought hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Canada" and "He gave respect to our elders."
The footage includes clips from Harper's 2012 visit to India and his numerous photo-ops with the South Asian community in Canada.
The Conservative Party leader is seen soberly accepting garlands from a Hindu priest, fiddling around with an Indian harmonium and awkwardly shaking hands with a carefully lined corridor of women at a sari store.
Then there are the really Indian bits. The 56-year-old is seen hanging out with Bollywood has-been Akshay Kumar and brandishing a cricket bat with a southpaw grip (they do say left-handed batters are more elegant).
The video's production values suggest that it probably wasn't put together by the Conservative Party itself, but it has already been shared by some party bigwigs.
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at this, but I would absolutely love to see the other parties put out their own 'Desi' jingles!