Actor, host and DJ Ali Merchant has the best of both worlds — television and music. The Mumbai-based artiste, who made his debut with Hindi daily soaps, went on to star in reality shows like Bigg Boss. He has now established himself as a DJ with his hit remix albums featuring the best of Bollywood music. This week, Ali will be performing in the city, as a part of Bombay Circus’ Kadak Smashup India Tour. Tracks like Scene Kya Hain and Saki Saki from the album became instant hits, which released in July. Apart from the high-energy songs, the concert will also have a circus-themed décor. “This is going to be a stellar party! I’m excited to be performing for this circus theme-based Bollywood electro-music festival,” says the 34-year-old, adding, “My set will be of a mix of genres. Expect a bit of house, hip-hop, ’90s Bollywood and Punjabi, along with mashups of Kadak.”
As an actor, Ali began his career with Amber Dhara in 2007 and went on to star in popular shows including Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Sadda Haq, before moving to music. “Acting will always remain my first love. But I’m passionate about music and I want to experiment with different genres and create a fun, groovy set for my audience,” he shares.
In the last five years as a DJ, Ali has performed alongside international record producers like DJ Snake and Indian playback singer, Guru Randhawa. His dream collaboration, he says, will be American musician KSHMR (Niles Hollowell-Dhar). “Kshmr is a genius. Collaborating with an artiste like that will be an absolute dream come true. I will also get to learn so many things from him,” he signs off.
Tonight, 8 pm. At TOT Nightclub.