FA9LA rapper Flipperachi says Akshaye Khanna and Dhurandhar changed his life dramatically, 'The film has done incredibly well globally'

When Bahraini rapper Flipperachi released FA9LA, it was intended as a standalone hip-hop track. Few could have predicted that the song would soon find itself at the centre of a global pop-culture moment — powered largely by its inclusion in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar and Akshaye Khanna’s now-viral performance to its beats. In a recent interaction, Flipperachi reflected on how the film dramatically altered the trajectory of the track and his own career.Speaking to NDTV’s Aditya Raj Kaul, the rapper acknowledged the pivotal role Dhurandhar played in amplifying FA9LA far beyond its original audience.“The movie came in, picked it up, and I mean, the rest is history,” he said.

A surprise success in India

What stood out most for Flipperachi was the overwhelming response from Indian audiences. Despite the song’s Arabic lyrics, FA9LA has become a fixture on Indian social media, inspiring countless reels and memes.“I honestly didn’t expect it to blow up like this,” Flipperachi shared. “People don’t really understand what I’m saying lyrically, but the beat is powerful, and that is crazy. It connected with them. It really got to them.”

The fusion that struck a chord

Blending Arabic hip-hop with Indian tabla percussion, FA9LA — also known as Faasla — carries subtle Indian musical elements. However, even with this fusion, the rapper admitted he never imagined the song would resonate so deeply in India.

“To have this kind of impact — I wouldn’t have believed in a thousand years that it would blow up in India,” he said. “Yes, it has Indian flavour in it, but I didn’t know it would rise to this level.”

Riding on Dhurandhar’s global success

Flipperachi believes the film’s international reach further propelled the song across borders, turning it into a global hit.“The film has done incredibly well globally, not just in India,” he noted. “It’s a Hindi-language film, but people all across the world are watching it.

It’s right at the top of the charts.”

Reels, memes and an overflowing inbox

Weeks after the film’s release, FA9LA continues to thrive online, with social media playing a major role in sustaining its popularity.“There have been so many reels and memes coming in,” Flipperachi said. “I’ve been reposting as many as I can, but my DMs are blowing up. I honestly can’t keep up.”

Dhurandhar box office performance

From an underground hip-hop release to a cultural crossover moment, FA9LA’s journey underscores the growing influence of cross-cultural collaborations in cinema and music. Dhurandhar, which hit theatres on December 5, has enjoyed a record-breaking run, collecting Rs 430 crore domestically.The film stars Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, along with Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun and several others in key roles.