Spinning Bollywood Beats in North Carolina: My Journey as a DJ

When I first started DJing, I never imagined I’d end up known as “the Bollywood DJ” in North Carolina. Honestly, I didn’t set out to earn a title, I just wanted to share the music I grew up loving. Bollywood has always been a part of me, and bringing that sound to parties, weddings, and late nights on the dance floor has turned into something bigger than I expected.

People sometimes ask me what it’s like to be considered one of the best in the state, and my answer is always the same: it’s not about being the best. It’s about being present in the moment, reading the room, and making sure everyone out there is having the time of their lives. The spotlight doesn’t matter as much as the energy of the crowd.

Finding Home in the Music

For me, Bollywood music isn’t just entertainment, it's home. It’s the sound of car rides with family, movie nights that stretched late, and dance floors at weddings where cousins I hadn’t seen in years came together like we’d never been apart.

That’s what makes DJing Bollywood so special in a place like North Carolina. Here, the South Asian community is growing, but it’s still small enough that when we come together, there’s a real sense of belonging. Music makes that happen. It takes a random venue—a banquet hall, a student center, even a nightclub—and turns it into a space where everyone feels connected.

Reading the Crowd

If there’s one skill that makes or breaks a DJ, it’s learning to read people. I can spend hours preparing the perfect setlist, but once the music starts, it’s not about me anymore—it’s about the crowd.

Sometimes that means playing a slow classic so a couple can have their moment. Other times it means dropping a Punjabi banger that sends the whole room into a frenzy. I love watching those shifts happen, because every group is different. A college crowd doesn’t move the same way a wedding crowd does. Families dance differently than club-goers.

What ties it all together is the feeling. When the energy is right, it’s like the whole room is breathing in rhythm with the music. Those are the nights I live for.

Mixing Bollywood with Everything Else

One of my favorite parts of DJing here in NC is blending Bollywood with other genres. A lot of events I do have mixed crowds—South Asian, American, international—and music becomes the universal language.

I’ll start with something familiar, like a Top 40 hit, and then slide into a Bollywood track with a similar beat. Suddenly, people who thought they’d never heard Bollywood before are nodding along and realizing how good it feels. Or I’ll take a Hindi love song and remix it with EDM so the dance floor never loses momentum.

Bollywood is such a flexible genre—it pulls from hip-hop, R&B, Punjabi folk, electronic, and even classical. As a DJ, that gives me endless room to experiment. And honestly, it keeps me from ever getting bored.

Moments That Stay With Me

Over the years, I’ve had so many nights that stuck with me. Like the Diwali show at a college where the dance floor started off empty, and within twenty minutes, the room was packed with students—some who grew up with Bollywood, others who had never danced to it in their lives. By the end of the night, everyone was doing the same hook steps, laughing like they’d known each other forever.

Or the wedding where the groom’s grandmother requested an old Lata Mangeshkar song. The moment it played, she lit up and started singing along, and suddenly three generations were on the floor together. That’s the magic of this music—it connects across time and culture.

Those memories are what keep me going. It’s not about the technical mix, the fancy gear, or the spotlight. It’s about the way music makes people feel.

Keeping Perspective

I’ll be honest—being called “the best Bollywood DJ in NC” makes me smile, but it’s never been what I’m chasing. Every event is a team effort. There are organizers planning for months, families investing their love and energy, and guests who bring their vibe to the room. I’m just one part of it.

I try to stay grounded by remembering that. My job isn’t to outshine anyone—it’s to amplify the joy that’s already there. If people leave with sore feet from dancing and a big smile on their face, I’ve done what I came to do.

Looking Ahead

Bollywood is only getting bigger here. More venues are open to hosting Bollywood nights, more students are throwing desi events on campus, and more people outside the community are curious about the sound. That excites me. It means new chances to share the music with different crowds, and new opportunities to grow as a DJ.

For me, the goal is simple: keep the culture alive, keep the beats fresh, and keep the dance floor full. Whether I’m playing for 50 people at a small gathering or 500 at a festival, I approach it with the same energy. Every set is a chance to create memories.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, being a Bollywood DJ isn’t about claiming a title or standing at the top. It’s about being part of something bigger—community, culture, and celebration.

If I’ve built a name in North Carolina, it’s because people have trusted me with their most important moments: weddings, graduations, cultural nights, birthdays. That trust means more to me than anything else.

So, am I the best Bollywood DJ in NC? I’ll let other people decide that. All I know is this: as long as there are people ready to dance to Bollywood beats, I’ll be there behind the decks, smiling, mixing, and losing myself in the music right alongside them.