In a move no one saw coming but can’t stop talking about, Bollywood star Siddhant Chaturvedi has dipped his toes—quite literally—into Korean entertainment. The actor appears alongside K-drama sweetheart Chae Soo-bin in a new Crocs Japan commercial that blends a rainy-day rom-com with a surreal advertising twist.
The ad plays out like a soft-focus fever dream: Chae Soo-bin strolls through a drenched street when Siddhant’s car zooms by, soaking her with a splash of muddy water. Moments later, he’s pulled over with a flat tyre, looking suitably embarrassed. She approaches with an umbrella, and the two share a coy, slow-motion walk in the rain. In a full-circle moment, she cheekily splashes his shoes. Crocs, anyone?
The visual tone flutters between a Bollywood monsoon romance and the whimsical awkwardness of a K-drama, but doesn’t fully commit to either — and that’s what has fans scratching their heads (and replaying the ad).
One fan posted on X, “Korean actress Chae Soobin with Indian actor Siddhant Chaturvedi filmed in India for a Crocs Japan ad… what kind of crossover is this?” Another wrote, “I don’t know if this is genius or chaos, but Siddhant in a K-romcom is something I didn’t know I needed.”
Still, the reception hasn’t been entirely rosy. Some viewers took issue with the actor’s noticeably lighter skin tone in the ad, accusing the production of digitally whitewashing Siddhant to “blend in.” Comments like “How much whitening has to be done to be in this ad lol” and “This looks so AI-generated help” quickly surfaced online.
Despite the divided opinions, the ad reflects a larger trend: the ever-expanding reach of Korean entertainment and its collision with global stardom. From Jackson Wang’s music collabs with Indian artists to Hollywood stars fangirling over K-pop idols, the East-West entertainment pipeline is bustling. Siddhant’s cameo may seem out of left field, but it signals a growing openness to unconventional cultural pairings.
Is this a one-off quirky ad spot, or the first step in Siddhant Chaturvedi’s K-wave journey? That remains to be seen. But for now, Crocs may have done the impossible—gotten the world to notice Siddhant and Chae Soo-bin in the same frame, rain and all.
