Manifest Spotlight: DJ Arjun Shah

Can you imagine a wedding without great music to vibe to? Especially, an Indian wedding? Weddings are big, parties after all, right? For that reason, having a great DJ to play at your wedding is a no-brainer. You need to book someone who understands the importance and nuances of DJing for weddings on an intimate level. This is something Arjun Shah has mastered incredibly well. Shah understands the role that spatial planning plays in creating an ambience for the crowd to enjoy music and is fluent in the art of picking up on the kind of music every wedding requires.

Having performed at some of the biggest celebrities such as Jeet Adani and Diva Shah, Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas and Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul, Arjun Shah has all the know-how and natural instinct to take on the Big Fat Indian wedding seamlessly.

In Conversation With DJ Arjun Shah

Manifest: Tell us about the journey you’ve had so far concerning your career in DJing. What inspired you to get on this path?

AJ: It all started in school. I was encouraged by my teachers to play background music for plays and participate in inter-school events and competitions and that snowballed into a bigger career path. One of my most fond memories is being on a school trip and being intrigued by the person who was manning the (music) console at an event. He asked me to try my hand at playing music, and I did;, it was interesting. I also remember listening to Bombay Vikings, Sukhbir and following music channels rigorously. I hadn’t studied music, but I’d always connected with it on a deep level. I was definitely one of those kids who accessed music on Winamp, Napster, and Limewire! I also had a good collection of music CDs.

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By the time, I entered 11th grade, I realised that I could really take up DJing in a more serious fashion. I also think that I’d always been musically inclined, and thankfully had a lot of great opportunities in high school to really refine my talent.

M: What is it about creating music at weddings that drew you in?

AJ: So, in 2009 or 2010, I remember I took on my first wedding as a DJ. Family support plays such an important part in embracing your talents and gifts, I believe that it was a family wedding that I performed for. Then, one fine day, there was a client who approached me, and at that time, I wasn’t proactively taking on weddings for my performances, but that particular wedding led to a lot of other opportunities and people recommending me or speaking about my work. And, the rest, as they say, is history.

M: What genre of music would you like to explore more at Indian weddings?

AJ: To be honest, I think Indian weddings are best when the music caters to everyone and is something that each individual can enjoy. So, a very small segment of clients like to experiment with something different. Because a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and many people don’t want to disrupt the good vibes. 

However, I have noticed a bit of an evolution in music choices over the last 15 years. When I started, there was a lot of demand for Jay Sean, Juggy D, UK-Punjabi Bhangra and Akon. Then things moved towards electronic music, progressive Hardwell, Tiesto. Then, we moved back in Bollywood music, Bollywood remixes, then rap, and now are in this Indo-Warehouse space. But at the end of the day, that one classic track always remains. Like Chhaiya Chhaiya is huge, the Indian audience loves doing hook steps, and that takes precedence in Indian weddings.

I would love to introduce more international music to the Indian, wedding audience but only a very small segment would accept it because it’s an important night of their life and they want to party!

M: You’ve DJed for celebrity weddings such as those of Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, etc. Do you have any heartwarming anecdotes from these weddings to share with us?

AJ: Well, for Kiara and Sid’s wedding, I remember playing many of Sidharth’s movie tracks as well as Kiara’s movie tracks. For Anushka and Virat’s wedding, I played a lot of great Punjabi music like ‘Mundian To Bach Ke’, and some Bhangra music as well. 

The experience at the Adani wedding was fantastic. The crowd had such high energy and absolutely vibed with the Bollywood tracks. On top of that, they had a blast with some English mashups I played, particularly my own remix of ‘Tere Liye x I Adore You.’

M: Do you have any stories from the other weddings you’ve covered of chaotic moments you witnessed or dealt with?

AJ: Of course! So many. But one instance is of a wedding where a power failure happened and I ended up arranging for a converter, which I connected to my phone and my console to make sure that the party went on!

M: What were 2024’s most requested song requests?

AJ: I think – ‘Jee Karda’, I saw a lot of Diljit Dosanjh and AP Dhillon as well.

M: What is your current favourite genre of music?

AJ: Currently, I’ve been loving the Afro-House space fused with Bollywood music.

M: As a creative person, where do you look for inspiration to keep reinventing your work?

AJ:  I would love to go and hear other DJs. But I hardly have the time, and I think that has worked in my favour. So, I often end up doing my own thing! It keeps things fresh and innovative. 

M: What advice would you give to couples who are looking to create a playlist for their wedding?

AJ: Simply put, choose what you like, don’t worry about what your guests are going to think. Don’t try to please anyone. And secondly, don’t get influenced by Instagram! 

Manifest Cheat Sheet

M: Who do you think should hire you for their wedding?

AJ: People who I can resonate with musically.

M: How would you define the style of the music you mix and play?

AJ: In four simple words – eat, sleep, innovate and perform!

M: How far in advance should clients reach out to you?

AJ: Upto a year before the wedding.

M: Can you give us an insight into the pricing details of your services?

AJ: We start at 3.5 Lakhs per performance, and go up to 8 Lakhs.