Sadegh Booghi trends on instagram

Sadegh Booghi is a 70-year-old Iranian fisherman and shopkeeper from Rasht, Gilan, who became one of the most unexpected viral stories of 2022. His joyful dance videos — simple, spontaneous, and radiating pure happiness — went viral across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, sparked civil protests in Rasht’s markets and squares, led to his arrest, and ultimately made him a cultural symbol of resilience and joy that reached audiences from Africa to Thailand. This guide covers his full story, music, Instagram, arrest, and what he’s doing in 2025.

Sadegh Booghi: Quick Facts

Who is Sadegh Booghi?

Sadegh Booghi is not a professional entertainer, a musician, or a social media influencer by training. He is a fisherman and small-scale shopkeeper from Rasht, the capital of Gilan province in northern Iran. He was in his late 60s when videos of him dancing — unselfconsciously, joyfully, in the middle of a crowded market — began circulating on social media in 2022.

What made those videos impossible to ignore was not his skill as a dancer, but the quality of his joy. In a country where public dancing — especially by older men, in public spaces, to upbeat music — carries social and legal risk, Booghi simply danced. His face showed no performance anxiety, no political statement, no attempt to go viral. Just a man moved by music, expressing himself freely in a space where that kind of freedom was anything but guaranteed.

Timeline: Sadegh Booghi’s Viral Journey

Sadegh Booghi’s Instagram Page

Sadegh Booghi’s original Instagram page was suspended by Iranian authorities after his dance videos went viral and authorities deemed his content a threat to public morality norms. He subsequently created a new page, which — thanks to the enormous goodwill around his story — has grown far beyond his original following.

Download Sadegh Booghi Music: “Ow Ow Ow”

The song that became the soundtrack to his viral moment is a simple, energetic, impossibly happy tune that Iranians immediately adopted as both a celebration anthem and a form of quiet resistance. Download it directly:

• Download “Ow Ow Ow” by Sadegh Booghi (MP3)

Sadegh Booghi Remixes & Viral Videos

Sadegh Booghi in Rasht Market: The Dance That Started It All

Why Did Booghi Get Arrested — And Why Did It Make Things Worse for Authorities?

The Iranian authorities’ decision to arrest Sadegh Booghi in 2022 backfired dramatically. Rather than silencing the movement around his videos, the arrest transformed him from a viral personality into a symbol of civil resistance. The reasoning behind his arrest — that his dance videos violated public morality codes — resonated badly with an Iranian public already frustrated with restrictions on public expression, particularly in the context of the broader Woman, Life, Freedom protests that were simultaneously shaking the country.

Sadegh Booghi’s Dance Goes Global

The universality of joy meant that Booghi’s videos didn’t stay within Iranian borders or the Persian-speaking diaspora. Videos of people dancing to his “Ow Ow Ow” music appeared from across the world:

News Coverage & Global Media Attention

What is Sadegh Booghi Doing in 2025?

As of 2025, Sadegh Booghi is free and living in Rasht. He returned to his life as a fisherman, but his social media presence has grown dramatically since the initial viral wave. His new Instagram page has reached over 1.4 million followers — more than ten times the followers of his original account at the time it was suspended.

Why Sadegh Booghi Matters: The Bigger Picture

FAQ: Sadegh Booghi

Who is Sadegh Booghi?

Sadegh Booghi is a fisherman and shopkeeper from Rasht, Gilan province in northern Iran, born around 1954. He became an unexpected viral figure in 2022 when videos of him dancing — spontaneously and joyfully — in Rasht’s bazaar spread across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. His dance, combined with his signature song “Ow Ow Ow,” sparked public gatherings in Rasht, attracted national and international media attention, led to his arrest, and ultimately made him a symbol of joy and quiet resistance for millions of Iranians.

Why did Sadegh Booghi get arrested?

Iranian authorities arrested Sadegh Booghi in 2022 on the grounds that his dance videos violated public morality codes — in Iran, public dancing, especially by men in public spaces to upbeat music, exists in a legally and socially ambiguous zone. His videos were also seen by authorities as inspiring public gatherings that took on the character of civil protest, particularly as people began gathering in Rasht’s market and Municipality Square to dance to his music. The arrest backfired significantly: it generated massive public outrage and international media coverage, and he was released after a strong public support campaign.

What is Sadegh Booghi’s most famous song?

His signature song is widely known as “Ow Ow Ow” (also transcribed as “Oo Oo Oo”) — a simple, energetic folk-influenced tune that perfectly matches the carefree, infectious quality of his dancing. The song is available to download directly on this page. It has been remixed by numerous DJs and musicians, used in wedding celebrations, adapted for dance challenges across multiple countries, and — perhaps most notably — played at gatherings where Iranians used dancing as a form of soft civil resistance.

Is Sadegh Booghi still in prison?

No. Sadegh Booghi was released after his 2022 arrest following a significant public support campaign both inside Iran and among the diaspora. As of 2025, he is free and living in Rasht. He has not faced further known arrests, though he operates with awareness of the social and legal boundaries around his public activity. His Instagram page remains active with over 1.4 million followers, and he continues to make occasional public appearances at celebrations and events.

How did Sadegh Booghi’s videos go viral worldwide?

The global spread of Booghi’s videos followed a pattern typical of truly resonant viral content: the emotional core — a 70-year-old man dancing with total uninhibited joy — needed no translation or cultural context to communicate. People in Africa, Thailand, China, and Israel filmed themselves dancing to his music without necessarily knowing the full story behind it. Inside Iran, his viral moment was amplified by the broader political atmosphere of 2022’s Woman, Life, Freedom protests. Outside Iran, it spread as simply a remarkably pure expression of human happiness.

Why did Sadegh Booghi become a symbol of protest in Iran?

In Iran, public dancing — particularly the kind Booghi was doing, outdoors, in a market, with people gathering around him — occupies a complicated legal and social space. The fact that he did it anyway, without apparent fear or self-consciousness, was itself a form of defiance in the Iranian context. When authorities arrested him for it, they inadvertently confirmed the political reading of his act. His release, won through public pressure, made him a symbol of the possibility of joyful, non-violent resistance. His story ran parallel to — and resonated deeply with — the larger protest movement happening simultaneously across Iran in 2022.

How can I follow Sadegh Booghi on Instagram?

His current active Instagram page is @sadegh.booghi. His original page was suspended by Iranian authorities after his videos went viral in 2022. The new page has grown to over 1.4 million followers as of 2025, far exceeding the reach of his original account. He uses it to share dance moments, public appearances, and occasional advertising content. Be aware that there are also fan pages and accounts using his name — look for the account with the highest follower count and consistent content history.

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