In May 2017, Varun Khullar aka DJ Aamish, got an opportunity to play at Kitty Su, the popular nightclub at The Lalit Hotel, Connaught Place. Khullar—a wheelchair user—had already faced several rejections from other places on account of being a person with a disability. This opportunity, thus, was unmissable. “I always dreamt of playing at Kitty Su because that is the only place where you can learn something in music,” shares the 30-year-old. After playing at a few gigs for nine months, Khullar was offered a residency there. “That was the most beautiful moment of my life till date,” shares Khullar, who proudly calls himself India’s first ‘differently-abled DJ’.
Finding solace in music
“I couldn’t come to terms with what had happened,” Khullar mentions while recounting a car accident—he was on a trip with friends to Manali in 2014—that left him paraplegic. “I felt like the doctors were joking and everything will get back to normal soon.” Taking some time to come to terms with the situation, Khullar adds how difficult the next few months were for him. “It was a bubble [of thoughts]. I felt like everything had ended,” shares the Dwarka resident.
After such a life-changing incident, it was music—Khullar was passionate about music from when he was young—that played a role in lifting his spirits and giving him direction in life. “I had always wanted to get into music so I accepted the situation, started reading about music, and I never thought that I was in a wheelchair ever again,” he shares, mentioning that his father inculcated in him the love for music irrespective of genres.
Embracing his passion
Back-to-back physiotherapy sessions helped Khullar and he soon began driving with hand controls, a shift that gave him the belief that he could and was ready to go back to the world and realise his dream. After several rejections from schools, Khullar was selected in one where he completed a year of DJ training. On being part of Kitty Su, he chose DJ Aamish as his stage name—originating from an Arabic word, Amish means one full of enjoyment. The same is also a portmanteau word formed from the names of Khullar’s parents, Amit and Shashi. “It was a rebirth and I thought it had to come from my parent’s names,” he adds.
There is no stopping for Khullar, who has performed in several gigs including one at Time Out 72, a music festival in Goa, along with international artists such as Wiz Khalifa and Martin Garrix in 2017. Khullar is now venturing into music production—he creates progressive and melodic techno. While a few tracks are out, Khullar will soon release other original mixes. “I’d say I have just started and there’s still a long journey to go through,” he shares.
A constant tussle
Accessibility is a major issue for persons with disabilities and Khullar’s experience has been no different. Mentioning how little has changed over the years in terms of creating accessible infrastructure, Khullar concludes, “We [the community] have to raise our voice collectively. It won’t change by the call of an individual but only when the community stands together.”