Pakistan’s leading rap duo, Young Stunners, comprising Talha Anjum and Talhah Yunus, is gearing up for their first-ever tour in India, scheduled to take place across three cities in December. According to Rolling Stone India, the Karachi-based rappers, along with producer Jokhay, are set to perform in Mumbai on December 13, Bengaluru on December 21, and New Delhi on December 25.
Despite the excitement surrounding the tour, the Young Stunners have not officially announced these concerts on their social media platforms, instead focusing on promoting their upcoming shows in Australia and Canada.
However, the anticipation for the tour has been overshadowed by controversy. The ticketing platform Skillbox has delisted the events from their website after receiving backlash over the rappers’ past tweets, which criticized Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, an Indian pilot captured and later returned by Pakistan, and made derogatory remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Skillbox stated, “We do not support sentiments that incite hate or violence against India. In light of recent revelations brought to our notice, we have delisted the event from our platform. It was deeply disturbing to see our team members being personally targeted. We would like to clarify that we are not and never were the promoters of the event.”
The decision has sparked a flurry of responses on social media, with many condemning the rappers for their past comments. One user wrote on X, “Kaun Talha? The one who wrote tweets against Kashmir. The one who spewed hate against Modi. The one who mocked Abhinandan. India’s hater Talha. The Talha whose show tickets will be purchased by Indians. Such a shame that he is allowed to do a show in India.”
Despite the controversy, Desi Disco Entertainment, the organizer of the tour, maintains that the shows are still on. Vaheed Khan, head of Desi Disco, told *The Print* that the backlash is part of a larger strategy to target the event, allegedly over refusals to collaborate with certain handles. “I will make sure the show happens and will not be bogged down by a few tweets,” Khan asserted. He claimed that after the announcement of the show on August 1, there were 16,000 registrations across all three cities within the first 12 hours, with 600 people working to complete the process.
Khan also suggested that many of the critical tweets were fabricated and had nothing to do with the Young Stunners or Pakistan. He accused those behind the outrage of seeking a share of the revenue, alleging that the refusal to include their logos led to the backlash.
Despite the ongoing debate, the popularity of Young Stunners in India is undeniable. The duo boasts a significant number of monthly listeners on Spotify from Mumbai (152,583 listeners) and New Delhi (245,000 listeners), highlighting their widespread appeal.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how the controversy will affect the scheduled performances and the reception of Young Stunners in India.
