Long before Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar turned it into a full-blown cultural moment in India, Bahrain-based rapper Hussam Aseem, aka Flipperachi, had already seen his track FA9LA go viral when it released in 2024. But nothing prepared him for what the song would become in India.

“The song went viral when it came out in 2024, especially in Sri Lanka, so I know that people find it easy to vibe with. But I wasn’t expecting it to blow up to this extent, especially given that it’s Arabic,” he says, adding, “DJ Outlaw’s production brought together Indian, Khaleeji and hip hop music in a powerful union, which helped me write and perform in a way that would resonate with anybody.”

The Arabic hip-hop banger plays over actor Akshaye Khanna’s moves, a moment that sparked an explosion of memes and reels. Watching the sequence for the first time, Flipperachi knew something had clicked.

“Akshaye is a legend, and it could not have worked out more perfectly. The scene was surreal,” he says. “One of my favourite moments was opening Instagram to see (actor) Ranveer Singh’s post with the scene and the song,” he adds.

Beyond the sudden fame, he recognises what this moment means for Khaleeji rap. “Moments like these open doors for entire genres to be introduced to new parts of the world, and I think this moment is a turning point in Arabic music,” he ends.