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Darshan Magdum, Indian member of viral boy band Boy Throb, finally gets US visa
Darshan Magdum, the sole Indian member of Boy Throb, has finally got his US visa after a months-long campaign.
Darshan Magdum, the sole Indian member of Boy Throb, should soon be on a flight to the United States. Magdum’s US visa has finally been approved after a months-long campaign by the band that gained viral popularity through TikTok videos last year.
In a video shared on social media on August 3, Boy Throb announced that Magdum’s visa had finally been approved.
“I got the visa,” Darshan Magdum told his bandmates in the clip over a video call from India, where he is based. The other three members of Boy Throb — Anthony Key, Evan Papier, and Zachary Sobania — are all based in the US.
What is Boy Throb?
Boy Throb is a four-member pop group that became famous on TikTok by turning one member's real-life visa struggle into the story behind the band.
While they make music and perform like any other boy band, there are questions about whether Boy Throb is a real musical act or just a viral stunt to get one person a US O-1 visa.
According to a report in The Guardian, Boy Throb began by singing covers of popular songs, changing their lyrics to persuade the US government to approve Magdum’s visa application.
They gained a million followers on TikTok in just one month. The band ran a sustained campaign to get a US visa for Magdum, who often appeared during performances on a video call.
Is it a real band?
When a video of Boy Throb's first performance at a nursing home went viral last year, many viewers questioned whether the group was simply a joke.
The band later addressed the speculation in a social media post, saying they had received several messages asking if they were "satire". While they acknowledged that their videos are often playful and humorous, the members stressed that they are genuinely committed to building a career as musicians.
Boy Throb was formed after its members connected through social media. The idea began when Evan Papier reached out to Anthony Key after discovering that they had both auditioned for American Idol.
Wanting to create a boy band, the duo recruited Darshan Magdum and Zachary Sobania, whose singing and performance videos they had come across on TikTok. Although the four had never met in person at the time, they decided to launch the group together online.
So who is Darshan Magdum?
Darshan Magdum is an Indian singer and social media creator who rose to prominence as a member of the viral pop group Boy Throb.
Before joining the band, he had built an online following by posting intentionally off-key covers of popular songs and humorous music videos on social media.
His content also led to collaborations with brands such as KFC, Lipton, Canva etc.
Magdum has 8.7 lakh followers on Instagram, where many of his videos show him singing in front of a green screen.
On August 3, 2026, he announced that his US visa had been approved. Magdum had applied for an O-1 visa, which is reserved for individuals with "extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics".
