If you are a creature who does dive into the social media feeds on your phone once in a while, it is impossible not to have had this song ring across while you are doomscrolling. The 1970s disco anthem ‘Ra Ra Rasputin,’ which, very much like the mystic courtier it is named after, shows no signs of ageing.
This time, though, the reason is an Indian pop culture milestone.
‘Rasputin’, produced by the controversial European music producer Frank Farian and fronted by the German-Caribbean quartet globally known as Boney M, was a smash when it was first released as a follow-up to their No.1 smash twin-tracks ‘The Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring’ back in 1978. ‘Rasputin’ also managed a No.1 spot on music charts in many European countries, as well as Australia (No.2 in the UK), but seemed to ride out the disco wave and settle into obscurity as the 1980s dawned with its New Wave, synth-pop and American video superstars on MTV.
The song, bewitching with its frenetic beat of galloping horses and use of Russian guitar, Balalaika, follows the format of lyrical storytelling. It simplifies the murky story of Rasputin, a preacher who came to wield enormous influence over Russian royalty (many suspect he was the Tsarina’s lover) and became a wheeler-dealer, so much so that other courtiers had to conspire and confabulate to murder him. Legend has it that he survived the poisoning, leaving the noblemen no option but to shoot him dead afterwards.
Rasputin indeed was a tough nut to put down, just like the song itself – in 2026, it is difficult to avoid its contagious beat and chorus all around you. From fan edits on social media to blaring from a Spotify playlist, or popping up when you stream YouTube, ‘Rasputin’ is everywhere — not accompanied by visuals of the original foursome, but by anything from a clip compilation of the megahit film “Dhurandhar 2” or influencers playing out their own homages to the film, where the song pops up during a pivotal climax scene.
‘Rasputin’ is amongst the many retro songs from the 1970s and 1980s used across the “Dhurandhar” series (the two films combined). While the first part made hay with songs like Usha Uthup’s ‘Ramba Ho’ and Pak-pop singer Hasan Jahangir’s 'Hawa Hawa', the second part takes a leaf perhaps straight out of Netflix’s marquee show “Stranger Things”, which made a horror series palatable to a larger audience with its use of children as protagonists and reprising the 80s lifestyle and music. There is an entire playlist of songs used across the Durandhar sequel, including ‘Tirchi Topiwale’ (Oye Oye), ‘Tamma Tamma’, and, of course, ‘Rasputin’.
Between the two films, “Dhurandhar” makers are steaming towards a 2,000 crore rupee BO windfall. That means garnering organic publicity across social media through the popularity of tracks like ‘Rasputin’ is invaluable in maintaining the longevity of a film or TV show long after the first rush of the premiere weekend.
The makers of the small Canadian show “Heated Rivalry,” which came out this winter, would know. It became a global phenomenon thanks to its word-of-mouth publicity, which in today’s world translates directly into social media fan edits praising the series to the skies. “Heated Rivalry” (available in India on Amazon Prime/Lionsgate Play) also benefited from the ‘Rasputin’ craze, with one of its two main characters being a Russian. Fans went to town on Instagram and TikTok making reels of the character, played by the instant-heartthrob Conner Storrie, working out parallels between his moody role in the series, as the Russian hockey player Ilya, and the 20th century healer Rasputin (‘He was big and strong, his eyes a flaming glow’ line from the song was a particularly popular pick).
Between “Heated Rivalry” internationally and “Dhurandhar 2” domestically, ‘Rasputin’ is raging as a cultural talking point. It’s not the first time, though. The song found a resurgence in 1997, popping up on the radio and music TV channels when Boney M released a greatest hits compilation in 1997. Another, more substantial, spell of virality ensued in 2021 with the ‘Rasputin’ dance challenge, based on mimicking a complex dance routine from a video game. One of the 23 lakh videos that were supposed to have been generated then included one of two Kerala medical students, bringing them instant stardom and attention. And now, another spell in 2026, showing the song’s lasting appeal. This cat is really not gone, yet.