Instagram has no shortage of Gen Z creators dancing to trending audio, lip-syncing to viral songs and turning everyday moments into reels.
But what happens when a group of 40-something office colleagues gets into a car and starts singing Yo Yo Honey Singh songs?
Meet Gaurav Garg, 46, and Saurabh Beniwal, 35, two colleagues from Faridabad whose unfiltered car videos have turned them into unlikely Instagram stars, with their videos reaching millions of views. Their formula is surprisingly simple: get together, pick a Honey Singh song, switch on the camera and sing: no cuts, no retakes, no edits.
What started as a way to unwind after a stressful day at work has now become a social media series that has caught the attention of Honey Singh himself.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, the duo talks about how they started their ‘band', what it felt like to receive recognition from Honey Singh, and how they became the ‘cool Gen Z uncles' of the Internet.
It All Started In An Office Parking Lot
The origin story is as spontaneous as their videos.
Gaurav recalls being stressed at work one day when he met Saurav in the office parking lot. Before heading home, he suggested they shoot a video together.
'I told Saurav, before going home, let's shoot a video. A Honey Singh's song,' Gaurav recalls.
They sat in the car, sang the song and recorded it without any particular plan. A few days later, Gaurav decided to try it again while travelling with friends. He even carried a party box along and recorded another Honey Singh song on the road.
That first video got just 49 views.
But instead of giving up, Gaurav and Saurav decided to keep going, as they were having fun while shooting the videos and were not worried about the views. They began recording more videos whenever they found the time to meet.
'They were random one-shot videos that we had done without any purpose,' Saurav says.
Soon, the numbers started changing. Their videos began getting thousands of views, and the comments were just as entertaining.
'People started saying, I wish my parents were like this, and Gen Z uncles, please let us join your gang,' Saurav recalls about their comment section.
The duo realised they had stumbled upon something people genuinely enjoyed watching.
No Retakes, No Overthinking
Perhaps the biggest reason their videos feel different from the average Instagram reel is that they do not try to make them perfect.
Their recordings are deliberately raw. Once they are inside the car, the camera goes on, the song starts, and they perform.
'In our shoots, there is no retake; that's the best part. Once the camera is on, the song is on, the recording is done, and that's it,' Gaurav says.
Most of their videos take less than a minute to shoot.
'Whatever is there is in front,' he adds.
The approach is also practical. Both Gaurav and Saurav hold senior positions in the education sector, so their Instagram hobby has to fit around their professional lives. They do not meet every day or plan elaborate shoots.
Instead, they wait until they are together, find a song and record.
Why Honey Singh?
The answer is simple: nostalgia.
For Gaurav and Saurav, Honey Singh's music has been part of their lives since their 'bachelor days'. From 'English Beat' to 'Blue Eyes', his songs were already familiar territory long before Instagram became the stage.
'Honey Singh used to be the dopamine of all of us in our bachelor days,' Gaurav says.
The duo initially experimented with different music and even considered songs by other composers. But eventually, they decided that Honey Singh would be their focus.
There is another reason too. They say Honey Singh's own journey, from enormous popularity to a period away from the spotlight and then his return to music, has been motivating for them.
And now, the singer whose songs they have been singing for years is also watching their videos.
When Honey Singh Noticed Them
For the duo, one of the biggest turning points came when Honey Singh shared their video on his Instagram Story.
Gaurav remembers exactly where he was when he found out. He was in the market with his five-year-old daughter when Saurav called him and told him to check Instagram.
He immediately stopped the car to check the singer's story.
The first song he saw on Honey Singh's Story was 'Maniac'.
Honey Singh shared their video on his Instagram Story. Photo: Instagram/ggyoyohoneysingh
'He put that song on his Story and appreciated it,' Gaurav says.
The moment was so exciting that the duo later met and recorded a thank-you video.
Honey Singh's appreciation also gave the duo a sense of validation. What had begun as a few colleagues casually singing in a car now had the attention of the artist whose music had inspired the series in the first place.
From Motivation Speaker To Honey Singh Fanboy
For Saurav, the Instagram persona is quite different from his professional life.
He works as a national speaker and conducts workshops across India, training people in the education sector. His work involves speaking to audiences and maintaining a professional image.
So when people see him singing, dancing and joking around in a car, the contrast can be surprising.
'A lot of people initially used to tell me that till yesterday you were talking, now you are singing, now you are joking, now you are dancing,' he says.
But Saurav does not see the two personalities as contradictory.
'Every person has a different origin all around. So it's not wrong to have different personalities,' he says.
For him, being serious at work and having fun with friends outside work can coexist.
They Started In 2024. They're Still Going
The duo says they began the project in the winter of 2024. Because of their professional responsibilities and travel schedules, they have never been able to post with complete regularity.
They have experimented with other formats, including a podcast series, but eventually returned to the idea that worked best for them: Honey Singh songs in a car.
Their plan is simple. Keep going.
'We will try and continue it till all the songs of Yo Yo Honey Singh have been launched. We will try to cover all of them,' Gaurav says.
For Gaurav, the videos are not simply about going viral or entertaining their audience. They are also a way to switch off from the pressures of everyday life. "Everyone has issues with EMIs,, some have family issues, but a person should be able to take some time out for themselves. Take out 10 minutes. Some people drink, some people play cricket, we make songs. It helps us get rid of our stress," he says.
From 'Uncles' To Instagram's New Favourite Gang
Their age has become a central part of their appeal.
Gaurav says children in his residential society now recognise him as 'Uncle Honey Singh'. Some tell him about the millions of views his videos are receiving, while others ask if they can join him for a recording.
The comment section ft @ggyoyohoneysingh
The combination of their age, Honey Singh-only format and raw videos became their defining identity.
They also do not want to overproduce the content. There is no complicated editing or carefully constructed performance. Just a group of friends, a car and songs they already love.
That authenticity has also helped them connect with a much younger audience.
The 'Uncles' Taking Over Instagram
Instagram is no longer just a space for Gen Z creators. More and more Indian 'uncles' are turning to Reels to sing, dance, and show a side of themselves that may not always be visible in everyday life.
From Sanjeev Shrivastava, better known as the 'Dancing Uncle', who went viral dancing to Govinda's 'Aap Ke Aa Jaane Se', to Reji Annan, whose rendition of KJ Yesudas' 'Gange Thudiyil Unarum' found an audience far beyond Kerala, older Indians are increasingly becoming part of the platform's viral culture.
Videos of groups of older men singing and dancing together also go viral, such as the Noida morning-walk group that went viral for performing 'Yeh Raatein Yeh Mausam'. Gaurav Garg and Saurav fit into this growing trend in their own ways.
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