During the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, the cigarette company Wills ITC had advertisements with a very memorable tagline: “Made for each other”. I don’t know if they were referring to cigarettes and smokers, filter and tobacco, the attractive man and woman pictured, or just sellers and buyers in general, but all the pairs seemed equally fitting. Now there’s a pair for current times that suits this tagline even better: India and flash mobs.

We certainly have all the ingredients: lots of people to serve initially as cover and later as an audience; oodles of tightly knit social groups from which to gather participants; and connectivity.

You could say that India is the spiritual home of flash mobs. They have always been an integral part of Bollywood cinema. Every movie has at least one number where the hero and heroine suddenly break out into song and dance, to be shortly joined by a hundred of their closest friends. So, having watched that for years, we already know all the moves.

But while flash mobs have been around in the US and other western countries for nearly a decade, the phenomenon is just beginning in India. Several years ago one was tried at a Mumbai shopping mall but the police were called in. Later the police said all such activity would be banned because gatherings of more than five people are a security risk. This is perplexing given that on any evening of the week, one can see more than 30 people at the Gateway of India, 100 people sitting on the walls of Marine Drive, and 500 people on Chowpatty Beach.

However, last month’s flash mob at Mumbai’s main train station Victoria Terminus had much better success. The organizers had to plan a month in advance to get approval from all the relevant authorities, but it happened and to prove it, it’s on YouTube.

A flash mob has its pluses. For the audience, it is a pleasant surprise and break in the midst of their busy day. It brings a smile to faces, some clap along, and a few even join in. And it’s all for free. For the participants, it’s a way to do something quirky and fun as a group, and in the process bring a moment of joy to others. In a broader perspective, it’s a way to take back entertainment from professionals and stars, and put it back into the hands of regular people.

But critics (no doubt anti-Bollywood types) say flash mobs are frivolous and a waste of time: what’s with a bunch of people prancing about? To address that, while staying fun, perhaps flash mobs can diversify.

American comedian Charlie Todd, founder of Improv Everywhere, has begun the process already by organizing flash mob pranks, not just to entertain but to see people’s reactions. Once he had a group practice synchronized swimming in a public fountain in New York. Another time he had some 50 people enter an electronics store wearing the same type of clothes as the stores’ employees. One of his people even managed to film the event using one of the store’s own video cameras. And one day each year his group ride the subway without pants.

The next branch could be flash mobs with a social cause … or at least flash mobs making a statement. It’s certainly an idea that would work in India. There are plenty of concerned citizens. There are plenty of social causes and pet peeves to choose from. And as a form of protest, it’s less painful than a fast and requires much less time.

Here are some ideas to begin with:

·         Show up at the Parliament building in Delhi one morning just as session is starting, dressed either in the stereotypical politico’s outfit of white kurta and dhoti, or in a sky-blue turban a la prime minister Manmohan Singh, and just stand around staring up. Statement? The fast may be over but we’re still waiting to see something concrete happen about corruption.

·         On March 8^th, International Women’s Day, vast numbers of women could turn the Slut Walk into a Slut Ride, taking the city trains and subways wearing shorts and staring pointedly at the men. Maybe the rail authorities would again allow use of their public announcement system, this time to play the song ‘Choli ke peeche kya hai?’ (translation: 'What's under the blouse?' The correct answer: 'My heart'). Statement? No matter what a woman wears, she does not deserve to be sexually harassed.

·         On Valentine’s Day, wear pink underwear over regular clothes, as an annual commemoration of the Pink Chaddi movement.  If there’s a dance sequence involved, perhaps the accompanying song could be, “Why this kolaveri di?” (see my previous article). Statement? Unmarried couples should be able to hang out together without being harassed by the police.

·         Stop under your nearest traffic flyover at 3pm next Thursday and hand out snacks to the dozens of homeless children living there. Statement? We do see you.

The recipe is simple. Pick an injustice, any injustice. Come up with an interesting way to present it and throw in a pinch (or a dollop) of humour. Gather up a 100 of your friends or closest extended family. And be sure to have that video camera on hand to capture the moment and post it on Net.

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(A version of this article was originally printed on WSJ India RealTime)