"Life without DJs would be incomplete."
Indian DJs have intricate skills to entertain and enthral us with their beats.
They possess the ability to judge the mood of the floor, pick just the right song, and set the floor ablaze with their chosen records.
Their contribution to a night out or the music industry should never be underestimated or overlooked.
They are responsible for spreading music in India in bigger ways than many people realise.
Paying tribute to them, we are proud to present 10 Indian DJs that you can groove to.
Nucleya
Born Udyan Sagar, Nucleya has redefined the Indian music scene.
In 1998, along with Mayur Narvekar and Mehirr Nath Chopra, he co-founded Banish Projekt.
The act is an original blend of Indian music elements in an electronica format.
Nucleya has also produced many unique albums and EPs.
The album Horn OK Please (2010) contains remixes of famous Bollywood songs.
These include ‘Chandan Sa Bandan‘ and ‘Main Ek Chor’.
DJ Chetas
Ranked at No. 59 on DJ Mag’s list of Top 100 DJs, Chetas is an influential pioneer of contemporary Indian music.
He has put his spin on many Bollywood albums and songs.
These include ‘Shershah Mashup’, ‘Sauda Khara Khara’, and ‘Kamariya’.
When asked what he tries to communicate to his audience, Chetas replies:
“Life is a mashup. There are ups and downs every single day, accept it and work towards making the good better!”
Shah Rukh Khan asked Chetas to be the official DJ for Kolkata Knight Riders.
This suggests that DJ Chetas is one of the best Indian DJs ever.
DJ Yogii
A curator of captivating mashups and original tracks, DJ Yogii is a rising name in the realm of Indian DJs.
His popular output includes ‘Love Mashup 2019’, ‘Punjabi Mashup‘, and ‘Tulsi Kumar Mashup’.
In an interview, DJ Yogii reveals the key pieces of gear he uses in his work:
“It’s ever-evolving but the addition of a pair of Neve 1073 preamps to the front end is making a huge difference to the overall intensity of our productions.
“Also, the new saturation unit from Elysia has given us a lot more tone colour in the mix.”
Embracing the evolving equipment is one of the things that has enabled DJ Yogii to make a name for himself.
DJ Zaeden
Born Sahil Sharma, DJ Zaeden is regarded as the ‘Martin Garrix of India’.
His influence transcends the borders of India, as he has played overseas as well as in his native country.
Zaeden began his career at the young age of 14 when he mixed tapes and distributed them among friends.
In 2016, he performed in Mumbai at a David Guetta concert.
He released singles when India was in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zaeden has also collaborated with global brands including Gucci, Tinder, and Bumble.
All these facts aptly show why he is such a renowned DJ and musician.
Nikhil Chinapa
Nikhil is not only a professional DJ, but he has also participated in several reality shows.
He was instrumental in establishing DJ-ing as a career in India.
Nikhil also led the music scene in the early years of the Sunburn festival which is a commercial Indian dance event.
He has contributed to several Bollywood classics including Salaam Namaste (2005) and Om Shanti Om (2007).
Commenting on remixes, Nikhil opines: “If a song is produced well regardless of if it is a remix or an original, then it is a good composition.
“In my opinion, there are two types of songs – the good and the bad.
“That goes with Bollywood music and remixes as well.
“There are great remixes that you hear and go, ‘Wow! What a great re-imagination of the song’.”
Kary Arora
Kary Arora holds the prestigious title of India’s first female DJ.
Therefore, she has not only carved a niche for herself, but she has also opened up pathways for women in a stereotypically male-orientated profession.
Kary started her career in 1997. In those days, there were no significant institutions that taught the art.
Her first forays were via freelancing and went on to explore vibrant avenues of music.
These include Bollywood songs, jingles, and her compositions.
Kary divulges her fascination for DJ-ing despite being female:
“Seriously, I never ever bothered to look into ‘Oh, I’m going to break into a male bastion’.
“It’s the people back in 1997 who gave me the title of India’s first female DJ and Limca Book of Records honoured me the same title in 2014 after one year of investigation.”
DJ Aqeel
Aqeel Ali, known as DJ Aqeel, has connections to a famous Bollywood family.
He is the son-in-law of the veteran actor Sanjay Khan and therefore the brother-in-law of Zayed Khan.
Aqeel used to own the Hype Nightclub in Mumbai.
He also contributed to ‘Fanaa For You’ from Fanaa (2006) and ‘My Dil Goes Mmm‘ from Salaam Namaste.
Aqeel is also famous for original albums including Aur Ek Haseena Thi and DJ Aqeel Forever.
His accomplishments in the fields of DJing and music know no bounds.
Akbar Sami
Beginning his career as a dancer, Akbar Sami collaborated with Bollywood bigwigs including Arshad Warsi and Sajid Khan.
When a nightclub manager requested him to fill in for the DJ one night, that’s when Akbar’s interest in DJing formed. Akbar is a self-taught professional.
He has also worked with DJ Aqeel and DJ Chetas on Himesh Reshammiya’s album Aap Se Mausiiquii (2016).
Naming some of his musical inspirations, Akbar says:
“As a kid, I always appreciated the veterans in the industry, such as Usha Khanna and A.R Rahman.
“I was also really inspired by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, besides which SD Burman and RD Burman have been my all-time favourites.”
Sumit Sethi
Sumit Sethi’s resilience and passion for his craft make him one of the best Indian DJs out there.
The music aficionado was nearly evicted from his house as his parents felt that he was throwing his life away by pursuing his chosen path.
Some of Sumit’s most popular singles include ‘Jai Dev Jai Dev’ and ‘Dalinder Dance’.
Sumit delves into the Indian music industry’s acceptance of DJs:
“Of course, it took us time to become artists, for people to accept that DJs are also artists.
“I am dreaming with both eyes open right now.
“Everything is changing. Earlier, it would be, ‘They’re only a DJ’.”
Ali Merchant
Ali Merchant is a known face in the world of Indian performing arts as well as in the music industry.
He is an actor, television anchor, DJ, and music producer.
Ali explains how he navigates all of these roles:
“Navigating between television, DJ-ing and acting posed initial challenges as I traditionally focused on one career at a time.
“I’ve created two separate profiles – one for acting and another for DJ-ing and music.”
He adds: “Life without DJs would be incomplete.
“I love being a DJ. It’s greatly satisfying and accomplishing.”
Ali Merchant has been married twice – his first marriage to the actress Sara Khan was shrouded in controversy.
Indian DJs are undeniable talents who know how to entertain.
They perform strategically, always alerted to the tastes and needs of their surroundings.
Whether in a nightclub or on an album, these musicians have an indefatigable zeal for their craft.
For that, they deserve nothing but our admiration and respect.
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