Rapper Talha Anjum ignited intense debate across South Asian social media after he waved and briefly draped himself in the Indian flag during a live performance in Nepal over the weekend — a gesture that has been labelled everything from courageous to reckless amid strained Pakistan–India relations.
The incident occurred while Anjum was performing Kaun Talha, a diss track targeting Indian rapper Naezy, when an audience member threw the tricolour toward the stage. Anjum caught the flag, swung it, and placed it over his shoulders, prompting a wave of online backlash and praise in equal measure.
Responding to the controversy, Anjum said he stood by his action.
“My heart has no place for hate. My art has no borders,” he wrote on social media, adding that he would not be swayed by “war-mongering governments” or media narratives.
The reaction was amplified by the current near-freeze in cultural exchange between India and Pakistan. Since the May conflict, Pakistani music has been removed from Indian platforms, several artists’ social media accounts have been blocked in India, and many Indian fans now rely on VPNs to access Pakistani content. Even cricket — a traditional softener of tensions — has reflected the strained atmosphere.
While critics questioned the prudence of Anjum’s gesture, supporters saw it as a symbolic rejection of political hostility and a defence of artistic freedom in a region where cultural expression has increasingly been constrained.
The moment has reignited debate on cross-border artistic ties, with many noting that — despite political barriers — cultural flows between the two countries continue to find unexpected ways to resurface.
