Secret of Indian headshake revealed

A video, which has garnered more than a million views on YouTube since it was uploaded last week, has decoded the Indian headhake.

Paul Mathew, is the writer and director of Indian Headshakes - What Do They Mean?, said that a lot of people might find it strange but if they are born in India, it becomes a part of their character, their personality, that as they talk they tend to move their head in different ways, the BBC reported.

The video presents an array of headshakes and shows how subtle variations in velocity, vigour and amplitude of wobble have different meanings, which includes: "yes", "no", "maybe", "what's up?" and "carry on".

Mathew, originally from south India but now working in the film industry in Mumbai, admits that his headshakes have been somewhat exaggerated for comic effect, but maintains that it's a true picture of a national trait.