New Delhi: The launch of Russia Today’s (RT) Hindi platform has come with an unexpected royal endorsement.
In an AI-generated promotional video, King Charles III makes an entry, declaring that there was a time when the world had danced to their tunes, before confessing that he never imagined he would be made to dance himself.
He then suddenly transforms into a turbaned man performing Bhangra. But the royal makeover does not end there. Charles switches to Hindi, asking for lassi instead of tea.
“There was a time indeed when we were quite accustomed to having half the globe dance to our tunes. Who could have possibly imagined that in the 21st century I would find myself being obliged to dance,” Charles says in the video.
Charles then says the British taught India to speak English. “And now because of RT, I have to talk in Hindi,” he says, while sipping what he believes is lassi from a teacup.
The jab at the British, packaged as a promotional video, taps into the sentiments of Indians whose history has borne decades of colonial rule.
But there is something more telling: the timing of the video. It was released days before the BRICS summit in Delhi and the scheduled meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The video, therefore, says something beyond the launch of a news vertical. It speaks of geopolitics. It reflects deepening ties between India and Russia and Russia’s efforts, through state-backed media, to make a pitch to Indian audiences at a time when the relationship between the two countries is drawing renewed attention.
“We want to speak not only about India but also with India – that’s why now we are also available in Hindi,” RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said.
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A royal cameo grabs social media’s attention
The AI-generated promotional video has sent ripples across the internet. The video has amassed over one million views and over 200 retweets. Its comment section is a mixed bag of surprise, shock, and disbelief.
One comment by John reads, “The humiliation of a once great empire shall continue.” Another comment by Vikrant Chaubey reads, “This advertisement is just so good.”
RT India was launched in December 2025 by now Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since then, RT has built a newsroom with over 100 journalists in the Delhi-NCR region, according to the website.
Edited by Maryam Hassan