There’s probably no accent in the world in which the rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star has not been recited or sung. The words have been changed, distorted, even mangled on occasion.
Among others, Dr Spock from cult science fiction series Star Trek reimagined it the way star people would say it: “Twinkle, twinkle, little Earth, how I wonder what you’re worth.”
The simple tune, too, has been adapted countless times, with effects ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. But even so, the video above, from the 1999 Tamil sitcom Kasalavi Nesam by K Balachander, is unique, with not one but four distinct versions: a Carnatic vocal performance, an energetic Punjabi remix, replete with bhangra dance moves, and covers in Telugu and Malayalam.
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