K-pop Sensation NTX Strikes Bollywood Chord with Kesariya, Kaala Chashma at Korea Culture Day

NEW DELHI: South Korean K-pop boy band **NTX** brought an unmistakably Indian flavour to Korea Culture Day 2026 when its members stepped beyond their Korean musical repertoire to perform the popular Bollywood song *Kesariya* and dance to Hindi film hits, including *Kaala Chashma* and *Koi Mil Gaya*, establishing a direct musical connection with Indian audiences.

The special performance emerged as one of the biggest attractions of the two-day Korean cultural festival held at Select CITYWALK in Saket, New Delhi, on October 23–24, showcasing the growing cultural affinity between Indian audiences and Korean popular entertainment.

Rather than restricting their performance to Korean songs, NTX members embraced Indian popular music, presenting their interpretation of *Kesariya*, the romantic Hindi track from the Bollywood film *Brahmastra*.

The group’s Bollywood dance medley, featuring *Kaala Chashma* and *Koi Mil Gaya*, added another Indian dimension to the performance, demonstrating how artists from different countries could connect with audiences through familiar melodies and dance.

The inclusion of Hindi songs in a Korean band’s performance represented a significant example of two-way cultural appreciation, particularly against the backdrop of the growing popularity of K-pop and Korean entertainment among Indian youngsters.

While Korean music has increasingly found enthusiastic followers in India, the NTX performance illustrated how Korean artists were also embracing Indian entertainment traditions, creating a cultural exchange that moved in both directions.

The performance also complemented the festival’s broader theme, **”One Light, Two Cities,”** inspired by the shared spirit of India’s Diwali and Korea’s Chuseok festivals.

Organised by the Korean Cultural Centre India under the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Korea Culture Day 2026 brought together diverse aspects of Korean performing arts, from contemporary K-pop and electronic music to traditional musical heritage and martial arts.

### Six Korean Teams Showcase Diverse Musical Traditions

Beyond NTX’s Bollywood-infused performance, the festival featured six Korean performance teams, offering Indian audiences an opportunity to experience different facets of the country’s cultural and artistic identity.

The programme began with the **Daekyeung University Taekwondo Demonstration Team**, whose energetic presentation of Korea’s iconic martial art combined athleticism, physical discipline, precision and choreographed movements.

The demonstration presented Taekwondo not merely as a competitive sport but also as an expression of Korean discipline, tradition and cultural identity.

Traditional Korean musical heritage came alive through **Eolssigu**, a fusion ensemble that blended indigenous musical instruments and traditional melodies with contemporary arrangements.

Its presentation highlighted how traditional Korean music could retain its cultural identity while evolving to appeal to modern audiences.

The violin duo **Ayuni** added another dimension to the celebration through classical crossover music, while **Atti Classic**, a mixed-gender vocal quartet, showcased the versatility of contemporary Korean vocal performances.

Another group, **DEEPER**, brought a different musical energy to the stage through a combination of electronic dance music and live instrumental performances, illustrating Korea’s experimentation with contemporary musical styles.

Together, the performances presented a diverse musical landscape, allowing visitors to experience Korea’s cultural traditions alongside the contemporary entertainment industry that has helped popularise Korean culture globally.

NTX’s participation provided a particularly significant link with Indian popular culture, as its choice of Bollywood numbers demonstrated that the musical connection between the two countries was increasingly becoming reciprocal.

### Beyond Music: Korean Food, Fashion and Interactive Experiences

The celebrations extended beyond the main stage, offering visitors opportunities to experience Korean culture through interactive activities, traditional games, food, entertainment and lifestyle displays.

Participating organisations and companies included **Star Entertainment**, the Indian distributor of the Korean film *Hope*; popular Korean food company **Orion**; and **MIXXO**, the lifestyle and fashion brand of E-Land.

Their participation introduced film, food, fashion and lifestyle dimensions to the festival, illustrating the increasingly diverse presence of Korean brands, products and entertainment in India.

The interactive experiences encouraged visitors, particularly young Indian audiences already familiar with K-pop and Korean television dramas, to explore other facets of Korean society and cultural traditions.

Kang Kwon Su, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India, highlighted the importance of providing Indian visitors with opportunities to engage directly with Korean culture.

“This event has been designed to give a diverse range of visitors, including young people in India, the opportunity to experience Korean culture firsthand and deepen mutual understanding between the two countries,” he said.

The New Delhi celebration formed part of a larger Korea Culture Day initiative that also included *K-Harmony Festa* in Hyderabad on October 25, expanding Korean cultural outreach to southern India.

The programme in Hyderabad included Korean performances as well as traditional cultural presentations from Telangana, reinforcing the organisers’ emphasis on bringing Korean and Indian traditions together.

While the festival celebrated Korea’s traditional and contemporary performing arts, NTX’s rendition of Hindi songs provided a particularly memorable expression of its underlying message.

By bringing Bollywood melodies and dance numbers onto a Korean cultural stage, the group demonstrated that the growing relationship between Indian and Korean popular entertainment was no longer limited to Indian audiences embracing K-pop.

Korean performers, too, were finding inspiration in India’s musical traditions, turning a Korean cultural showcase into a celebration of mutual artistic appreciation and people-to-people friendship.