An eight-year-old video shot in Hunza went viral after a tweet by Bollywood actor Anupam Kher claimed that it was from a village in India.
“Some kids in India have formed their own band together,” Anupam wrote (translated from Hindi). “This band does not have any modern equipment.”
भारत के किसी गाँव में कुछ बच्चो ने मिलकर अपना एक बैंड तैयार किया है।इस बैंड के पास कोई आधुनिक साज़ो सामान नहीं है।और इन्होंने धुन भी क्या चुनी है! मिलिट्री बैंड की।क्योंकि ये जानते हैं कि “असली पावर दिल में होती है!!” इन बच्चों की जय हो।किधर हैं ये बच्चे? 😍😎🇮🇳 @Bengaluruhudugi pic.twitter.com/e6TjweFRwJ
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) August 18, 2021
The video shows a group of children playing music out of empty tins, water cans and sticks.
“And what a tune they have chosen! Of the military band,” said Anupam.
People started questioning the video’s origin after it went viral. Some of Anupam’s followers commented that the video was from Pakistan and others shared links that showed that it was posted on several Facebook pages six years ago. A few claimed the video was first uploaded in 2014 and that the band is called “Chilimchi”.
In 2015, the video was shared on Facebook by Hunza Folk, which confirmed to Indian news websites that it is indeed from Pakistan.
The tune being played is of the patriotic song Ao Bachon Sair Karain Tumko Pakistan ki. But what might have confused Anupam is the song Ao Bachho Tumhe Dikhaye from the 1954 Indian movie Jagriti. It has a similar tune.
A week before Anupam’s tweet, Shehzad Roy had posted the video and asked his followers if they could help him find where the band was from.
“Please somebody tell me where these kids are and I’ll give them all the instruments they need.”
Please somebody tell me where are these kids and I’ll give them all the instruments they need 🙏 pic.twitter.com/e4Tq24KFMR
— Shehzad Roy (@ShehzadRoy) August 11, 2021
A journalist named Pervez Mir had interviewed the band in Gilgit-Baltistan in 2013.

Chilimchi founder Kashif Nawaz said in an interview that he couldn’t afford instruments, so he bought a flute and used ghee tins as drums and trained other children. The band started out with four members.
Because they used empty tins, the residents named them “Chilimchi”. It was changed to Josh when the band grew popular.
Josh performs at weddings and other gatherings.