The 97th Academy Awards saw an unexpected moment when Conan O’Brien, the first-time host, surprised viewers by addressing Indian audiences in Hindi. 

While delivering his usual witty and self-deprecating monologue, he took a brief pause to greet the people of India, saying, “Namaskar. Nashte ke saath Oscar kar rahe hai aap log,” which translates to, “Greetings to the people of India, it’s morning there, so I hope you’re having breakfast with the Oscars.” 

Conan O’Brien deserves an Oscar for best attempt at a foreign language! 😂
Good job, though the Hindi was definitely Hinding! 👏 #Oscars2025 pic.twitter.com/AG0h2BOmFT

— Teri Maa Ki Jack 🇺🇸🇮🇳 (@TERIMAAKIJACK) March 3, 2025

The spontaneous switch caught many off guard, sparking a wide range of reactions from the Internet users.

O’Brien kicked off the ceremony with a monologue that touched on various nominees, starting with a humorous clip of him emerging from Demi Moore’s back, a reference to the body horror best picture contender The Substance. 

He also tackled a major controversy that had erupted over Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascon’s offensive social media posts. 

“A little fun fact for you: Anora uses the F-word 479 times,” O’Brien joked. “That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.” He then mimicked Gascon’s reps, raising his voice in disbelief: “You tweeted WHAT?!”