American teen’s moving rendition of Indian national anthem: Viral video spreads happiness
A video, which is now melting hearts on social media, shows a 17-year-old American teen singing India's national anthem with a smile on his face.
An American teen’s heartfelt rendition of the Indian national anthem has become a source of happiness for many on social media. The video, shared by an Indian in the US, captures the 17-year-old enthusiastically singing the anthem.

“Oh my god! My heart just smiled through this,” Disha Pansuriya wrote while posting the video. She added that the singer, Gabe Merritt, knows anthems of different countries, but his favourite one is that of India.
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“He is just amazing, he knows mostly every country’s national anthem, but @india is his favorite! I pray and wish he goes places with his exceptional talent!!” reads the rest of the caption.
The video opens to show Merritt sitting on a chair. A text insert appears on the screen: “You feel proud when a 17-year-old American sings the Indian National Anthem.”
The rest of the video captures Merritt singing ‘Jana Gana Mana’ while trying to get the correct pronunciation.
Take a look at the video:
How did social media react?
The video received warm responses from people on Instagram. Many reacted to the post using heart or fire emoticons.
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An individual wrote, “That was a super proud moment.” Another added, “It feels so great to hear the National Anthem. So proud of you.” A third joked, “Angreezo ko bhi sikha diya.” A fourth commented, “This was the best thing I saw today.”
About ‘Jana Gana Mana’:
Rabindranath Tagore originally composed the song Jana Gana Mana in Bangla. It was later adopted as the National Anthem of India on January 24, 1950.
Though the original song written by the Nobel laureate was long, the words and music of the first stanza are considered the National Anthem of India.
The full anthem plays for approximately 52 seconds. On certain occasions, a shorter version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is played, and its playtime is about 20 seconds.
ABOUT THE AUTHORTrisha SenguptaTrisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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