HELLO! India Exclusive: How Flipperachi’s ‘FA9LA’ became Dhurandhar’s breakout musical moment

Soon after Dhurandhar hit the screens, thousands of clips of Akshaye Khanna moving to an immensely catchy Arabic track swarmed the internet. The collab, it turns out, materialised when the filmmakers, after active scouting, heard a Bahraini rapper’s high-energy song, deeming it the perfect fit for the pivotal scene. Flipperachi, the artiste behind the earworm, shares what life’s been like since ‘FA9LA’ made it to the blockbuster franchise.

HELLO! India: ‘FA9LA’ exploded overnight! When did you first realise this was a cultural moment, not just a song release?

Flipperachi: When I saw the consistency of the craze around the song, as it wasn’t just one viral clip. I was coming across thousands of them from all angles. Different cities, different crowds. That was amazing to experience, and that’s when I realised we hit something big. 

HELLO! India: What do you think makes ‘FA9LA’ so catchy — the beat, the hook, the attitude, or the unpredictability?

Flipperachi: It’s a mix. The beat has bounce, the hook is simple, and the attitude is confident. I truly believe sometimes less is more. I work with incredible people who have a great sense for these things. Shout-out to the main man, DJ Outlaw, who produced the track.

HELLO! India: How did you react when you saw reels, remixes and dance challenges? Was there a celebrity shout-out that made you pause and think, “Okay, this is big?”

Flipperachi: It was exciting! Seeing people who don’t speak Arabic still connecting to the rhythm shows how powerful music can be. Ranveer Singh’s shout-out was definitely a big one.

HELLO! India: The internet hasn’t stopped talking about the “Akshaye Khanna dance.” Did you try it yourself?

Flipperachi: I might’ve tried it once or twice. I’ve seen it enough times online, so it’s hard not to! It’s got flow.

HELLO! India: Describe the Flipperachi sound.

Flipperachi: Energetic. Cultural. Confident.

HELLO! India: What was your journey like before this viral breakthrough, the grind no one saw?

Flipperachi: It was years of building, experimenting, and staying consistent. Moments like this don’t happen overnight. I am grateful to the people I have around me — especially my team.

HELLO! India: Do you think Bollywood is becoming more open to experimental rap voices? And would you collaborate with mainstream Bollywood composers, or are you more interested in independent sonic exploration?

Flipperachi: Yes, the industry is becoming more experimental, and that’s exciting. I see audiences are open to new sounds, so that definitely creates room for more cross-cultural collaborations. I’m always open to projects that feel right. That’s important to me as an artist.

HELLO! India: After such a breakout track, how do you avoid being boxed in by one sound, or one moment? And are you already working on something that feels like the next cultural disruptor?

Flipperachi: By evolving. I never want to repeat one formula. I want every release to feel like a level up in my artistic journey. So, we definitely have a couple of things brewing in the background.

HELLO! India: If ‘FA9LA’ was your foot in the door, what do you want your next track to say?

Flipperachi: That we’re just getting started!

This story was featured in the Vol 1. Issue 8 of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.