Russian girl singing Kannada poem with friend in Bengaluru wins internet’s heart

A RUSSIAN girl and her Indian friend have gone viral on social media for singing a Kannada poem while cycling through a Bengaluru neighbourhood.

Dressed in colourful traditional Indian outfits, the young girls’ performance has struck a chord online — not only for their friendship, but also for their love of the Kannada language.

The video, originally shared on Instagram, opens with a touching montage of photographs showing the duo over the past three years. The latest footage, from 2025, shows the girls riding their bicycles and singing “Bannada Hakki” (Colourful Bird), a popular Kannada poem for children. A note on the clip reads: “3 years in India. Girlfriends – classmates. 3 years of friendship."

Even Foreigners Learnt Kannada…

The clip was later reposted on Reddit, where a user captioned it: “Even foreigners learnt Kannada, what’s your excuse in spreading more love and compassion towards our language?"

The video sparked a wider conversation about language learning, with several users weighing in on how environment and schooling influence how children pick up local languages.

“It’s easier for kids to learn a language to speak as they are not worried about the correct way to pronounce a particular word/sentence,” one user wrote.

Another pointed out, “Real problem is our schools. The government should make local language mandatory in schools so that 2nd generation immigrants will learn the language at least."

A Redditor remarked, “It’s simple. Indians just don’t respect their own language. They will learn French, Spanish etc., while sitting in India, but will proudly say they don’t know the local language.”

However, not everyone saw the issue in the same light. One user noted, “It’s fun and positive when she did it by herself. Not so fun when goons are shouting at you or threatening you with weapon. Understand the difference."

Another comment read, “I feel it’s easy to learn during schooling, she might be having Kannada as a subject. I tried learning 40-50 words so far, but I don’t have anyone to talk to. So I easily forget."

A more critical response stated: “Entitlement, arrogance, and a condescending attitude toward the language, culture, and people of the land they’ve settled in, despite benefiting from the leniency shown by Bengalureans, in whose city they are earning their bread and butter – This is their hidden excuse.”

The viral moment has opened up a meaningful dialogue about language, belonging, and respect for regional cultures in India.

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