There is a very famous saying by Bob Marley, “One good thing about music is when it hits you, you feel no pain”. Music has the incredible power to heal and lift spirits. Proving the power of music, DJ Aamish beat all the odds and became India’s first differently-abled DJ. This is the story of Varun Khullar aka DJ Aamish who is also a TEDx Speaker and a Limca Book Record holder. Apart from this, Aamish also won many awards including Bharat Prerna Award and the Epic Award.
With the ignited passion to connect people via music, DJ Aamish has an exceptionally good sense of soundtracks and enigmatic vibes of the music. There is a whole new energy in the crowd when DJ Aamish plays his tracks behind the console. He is also a popular music producer who has released many hypnotic tracks on renowned labels including Inner Symphony (Steyoyoke Recordings), Spring Tube & Duenia Records.
This is the inspiring story of DJ Aamish in his own words.
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Walk us through your journey of becoming a DJ.
Since childhood, my inclination has always been towards music. This inclination grew deeper after a car accident in 2014. During a road trip with my friends, I met with an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury. This injury paralysed me from the waist down. And the doctor declared that I won’t be able to walk again. I was completely bedridden the whole year after the accident. That incident broke my spirit as I became a prisoner in my own home.
Being bedridden for almost a year, I started taking physiotherapy sessions that helped me a lot. During the same period, I found solace in music and thought of pursuing my dream of becoming a DJ. After taking professional training in DJyeeing, I got my first break in 2017. It was one of the best moments of my life.
Music is the life of every party. How do you decide which music to play and when?
Creating a mood and atmosphere is not easy. Every time it’s a new journey. For me, music is not something that you learn, it is a feeling that comes from within you. It is all about the feeling. As a DJ, we have to keep up with the trending music because the crowd prefers to listen to it. But it also depends on us how we mix and match the trending music with our style.
Obviously, we have to prepare a basic list beforehand but we have to keep innovating according to the atmosphere and vibes of the party.
Somewhere you mentioned that living a simple life is hard not because of my condition but because the world is underprepared. What’s your take on that?
As a differently abled person, I want to do a lot of things but the lack of basic facilities limits us from achieving all those things. For instance, I had an event where the hall was on the second floor but the building didn’t have any escalators or lifts so that I could reach there on my own. In situations like these, we have only 2 options: either someone lifts us up and carries us to the desired locations or we cancel that show. Hence, it is not the limitation of differently-abled people, it is the limitation of society who forgets to include us in their daily life.
But I believe it is a two-way street. If we want any change then we have to take the initiative for the same. That is why I keep telling all my differently-abled buddies that if you are good at something then pursue it. Come outside your comfort zone, I promise you there is a beautiful world out there waiting for you. Let the world realise that we also exist in the world. And it will start changing.
What are your plans for the future?
Right now, I am planning to release my music by March this year. Rest I am enjoying my life as a DJ. It gives me happiness, satisfaction and my own identity.
