Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Claim
A mouse string puppet dancing to Naatu Naatu is evidence of RRR’s Oscar winning song being a global phenomenon.
Fact
The video predates the release of Naatu Naatu song and has been digitally manipulated to replace the original audio with RRR’s song.
A video purportedly showing a mouse marionette (string puppet) dancing to RRR’s Oscar winning song “Naatu Naatu” was quick to garner social media attention. Those who shared the viral clip of a woman puppeteer allegedly making a string puppet dance to Naatu Naatu, claimed it to be “real evidence” that the song is a “global phenomenon.” Newschecker found the viral footage to be digitally edited.
Businessman Anand Mahindra was among several Twitter users who shared the viral video of a string puppet dancing to Naatu Naatu. The footage is also doing the rounds on Facebook.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here, here, here and here.
News outlets Zee News and Times Of India also reported on the same.
Also Read: North Korean Military Choir Did Not Perform Queen’s ‘I Want To Break Free’, Viral Video Is Edited
Fact Check/Verification
A keyword search for “Mouse,” “string puppet” & “dancing” on YouTube led us to a video by Aleksandar Stevanovic, dated August 21, 2017, titled ‘Despacito Dancing Puppet!! (AMAZING).’ The video featured the same puppeteer pulling the strings of an identical mouse puppet as seen in the viral footage.
On comparing the viral footage with the YouTube video by Aleksandar Stevanovic, we found them to be identical – except for the audio. While in the viral video the string puppet is dancing on RRR’s Naatu Naatu, the YouTube clip shows the marionette performing on Spanish song Despacito.
Further, we looked up “Puppet dancing Despacito” on YouTube and found that the video has been uploaded on multiple channels since 2017. Such videos can be seen here, here and here.
A Facebook search for the same also yielded multiple posts from 2017 carrying the video of marionette performing on Despacito. Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Notably, the lyrical version of Naatu Naatu song was released in November 2021 and the video in April 2022. The viral video of string puppet dancing to Despacito has been available online since 2017, and hence predates the release of the RRR song.
A BuzzFeed report, dated December 3, 2017, also carried snippets from the viral video to show a mouse marionette dancing to “Despacito.” The report added that the clip was posted to Instagram by Italian user @nerinapeppe in August 2017.
The report also carried the Instagram post, however the link to the same is no longer available.
Conclusion
Viral post claiming to show a string puppet dancing to RRR’s Oscar winning song Naatu Naatu is false. The video predates the release of the song, and has been digitally edited.
Result: Altered Video
Sources
YouTube Video By Aleksandar Stevanovic, Dated August 21, 2017
Report By BuzzFeed, Dated December 3, 2017
Tweet By @LahariMusic, Dated April 11, 2022
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
