On October 16th, Boy Throb, a newly social media famous boy band, celebrated Darshan Day – the day their fourth member, Darshan Magdum, publicly performed with his bandmates Anthony Key, Evan Papier and Zachary Sobania after a long battle with the US immigration system. Key and Papier met after both unsuccessfully auditioned for American Idol, then got to know Magdum online and found a bass singer in Sobania. However, as the group started to produce music, they had a problem – Darshan was “stuck in India” without a US Visa. So Darshan filed an “O-1 US visa which is reserved for individuals with ‘extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.’” 

In October of 2025, the band began creating parodies of popular songs to explain Darshan’s situation in an attempt to gain 1 million followers, which they believed would accentuate the O-1 Visa application. My favorite is their version of “Mambo No. 5,” which they sing in a TikTok video with the words, “A little bit of paperwork ‘bout Darshan, little background check prove nothing’s wrong, letters of endorsement from top brass, little proof of income adds some gas.” However, despite Darshan’s undeniable talent, he received an RFE (Request for Evidence) from the US government, causing a delay in the application as Darshan was required to go through more steps to prove that the request for an O-1 Visa was valid. 

Another challenge that Boy Throb faced while trying to unite the band in the US was skepticism from fans and haters about the legitimacy of the band. Due to the multiple parody songs released, the fun, bubble pop feel of their songs, and the band’s commitment to often adding Darshan in their media and music videos via greenscreen or photoshop overlay, some even wondered if the entire musical phenomenon was an elaborate bit by docu-reality comedian Nathan Fields. However, Boy Throb called out social media messages asking if the band was satirical, responding that they were a serious band and doubling down by selling “Not Satire” and “Boy Throb is Real” T-shirts in their online merch store. They also put on a sold-out IRL concert called Throbchella in May of 2026. Continuing the momentum by collaborating with big artists like Kesha and singing the national anthem at an LA ice hockey game, as well as keeping up social media videos and releasing more parodies as well as original songs, Boy Throb was finally able to prove Darshan’s talent, and he publicly announced that he had received a US Visa early this August.

Given the increasing difficulty immigrants may experience with attaining visas during Trump’s current presidency, it’s not surprising that the number of skilled people emigrating to the US is dropping. Darshan’s fight was an underdog situation, and while Boy Throb beat the odds and are finally united in America, many talented immigrants have not had the same luck. And it’s not just a question of effort and skill – US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received over $7 billion in immigration fees according to 2023 and 2024 statistics (due to lack of publication by the current administration). While Darshan’s victory is well worth celebrating, we cannot assume that victory over the immigration system after completing all official requirements is the norm. Boy Throb and Darshan are the exception to the rule – in most cases, the US immigration system is nearly impossible to navigate and no longer welcomes emigrating individuals with open arms, inviting them to partake in the American Dream. Boy Throb is “4gether, 4ever” now, but sadly, not everyone gets to be.