Students Perform Dangerous ‘Route Thala’ Trend

A video of students in Chennai is going viral for dangerous train stunts under the 'Route Thala' trend.

Transcript

00:00These students aren't just performing stunts. They're following the dangerous Root Thala trend.

00:08A video of college students from Chennai performing dangerous stunts on a speeding

00:12suburban train as part of the trend went viral on April 9th, 2025. In the viral video, five boys,

00:17believed to be from two different colleges in Chennai, are seen footboarding on a speeding

00:21suburban train, with two of them standing at the top. Root Thala is a rising trend in Chennai,

00:26where college students form gangs to dominate specific bus or train routes. They perform

00:30dangerous stunts, flash weapons and use aggression to assert their supremacy.

00:35This isn't the first case. Back in October 2024, a 19-year-old presidency college student in Chennai

00:41died after being attacked by students from a rival college in a similar Root Thala clash.

00:46In October 2024, a 16-year-old from Chennai was severely injured after hitting a pillar

00:50while performing a stunt on a moving train. In the recent viral video, the group recorded

00:55their dangerous stunt and uploaded it on social media. While more students wore masks to hide

00:59their identities, one did, giving police a crucial lead. The Root Thala trend continues

01:04to raise questions about student behavior and public safety in Chennai.