Have you heard the Miya Bhai, the kiraak Hyderabadi rap song which has crossed nine million views?

When one thinks of Hyderabad, things like chai, Biryani and Charminar come to mind. But, Miya Bhai encapsulates all things Hyderabad. Everything from the lingo to the style, from locations to the references, this rap song, penned by Ruhaan Arshad, has truly nailed it. And these are not our words, the fact that the video has nine million views, is a testament to this fact. So we caught up with the 21-year-old rapper who tells us all about the video which is resonating with not just Hyderabadis, but people in Pakistan, Turkey and other places as well.

Once I get the hook line, the rest of the song, in a rhyming scheme, usually comes easily to me

Ruhaan Arshad, Rapper | (Pic: Ruhaan Arshad)  

Though this is Ruhaan's fourth song, he has been rapping for a very long time. "I thought about this song two months bach and immediately saw the potential. I was adamant on going ahead with it, no matter if it topped the charts or not," says the flamboyant Ruhaan. And went ahead he did, with the help of musician Adil Bakhtawar and videographers (and friends) Taufeeq Shaik and Abdul Azid. Because of the dearth of Hyderabadi Hindi rappers and Urdu rappers, Ruhaan truly believed that the video had a chance. Accordingly, the team put in their all. They shot for one week, from 5 am to 6 pm, "to make sure there were fewer people" and edited for another week. When they released it on YouTube on November 22, 2018, Ruhaan slept a satisfying sleep that night, hoping for one lakh views over a month. But he woke up to a big surprise. Overnight, the video had garnered three lakh views. In nine days, it touched one million and in another two days, three million had watched the video. The numbers just blew their mind! 

Tune in: The rap song doing the rounds, Miya Bhai 

We also learnt that Ruhaan tries to reply to every compliment, and rightly, blocks the nasty ones. "Yes, I do like and see most comments," he acknowledges. Now that the video has truly gone viral, Ruhaan is being invited to perform. "But, I am a really shy guy," he says, to our surprise. He certainly doesn't seem like one in the video. Which again is a testament to his performance and skill, we figure.        

Crash course in Hyderabadi lingo 
Miya/Chicha/Mama: Usually an endearing term for a friend
Lite: Similar in meaning to the word, chill 
Rubab: Means attitude
Baigan ke baatan: Useless talk