Making the partygoers dance to his tunes for over two decades now, DJ Girish Wadhwani knows the musical pulse of the city like the back of his hand. The popular deejay tells us that the only survival mantra for any deejay has to be his or her versatility. And that’s exactly what he has been doing for the past five months — belting out peppy numbers from his home console for his dedicated online party crowd when the city’s nightlife came to a halt, courtesy the pandemic. He played new commercial hits, twice every week, virtually turning living rooms of his patrons into cool party zones.
Currently, a consultant at one of Kolkata’s hottest spots, M Bar and Kitchen and its subsidiary properties, Girish tells us, “The lockdown has been absolutely intimidating for me. It clipped my wings and I felt stifled as an artiste and explorer. So, I plugged in my DJ gear and went live on social media, playing different genres of music to reach out to an eclectic audience. I didn’t push too hard and kept my music sets on social media simple, relatable, varied and fun.”
His perseverance paid off as Girish’s schedule for the month is not just sold out but he now has another residency. You can also catch him playing live at Salt House and Bar during the weekends at brunch hours. Apart from playing online, Girish who swears by such legendary music producers as Carl Cox, Roger Sanchez, Armin van Buren and Eric Prydz, scoured new artistes and composed a fresh set of playlist.
The music producer, who has a fine taste in fashion and has ditched the gym for cycling, believes that the worst is over. But the trying times have taught him some life lessons too. “Never take anything for granted and always have a back-up plan. And most importantly, make the right financial investments,” tells Girish, busy prepping up for the Christmas and New Year parties.