Bollywood’s Favourite DJ Tells You How to Create the Ultimate Sangeet Playlist

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when we say ‘Big-Fat-Indian-Wedding—booze, food, and music? If not the first, music must certainly fall into your ‘top 5 things to look forward to at a random person’s wedding’ list. After all, swaying to Ed Sheeran’s Perfect and poppin’ and lockin’ to Kala Chashma is what wedding dreams are made of. 

That said, with a catchy TikTok beat trending each day and a slew of new songs making it to the weekly Billboard Charts, it can be daunting to set up a sangeet playlist for your bestie’s big day. From timeless uncle-aunty couples’ dance numbers to Gen Z rap favourites, a sangeet playlist must be well-balanced, with something for everyone. 

Giving us a lesson or two on how to make sure the crowd stays hooked, DJ Arjun Shah, Co-Founder, Fullstop Entertainment, Digital Chants, says, "Understanding the couple, their families, and what makes them happy is the key to creating the perfect wedding playlist. In the end, everyone is present to celebrate the couple and their love story, and it’s important to translate that through the music." So, do you go for classic melodies—popular tunes from the 70s, 80s, and 90s—or the trending top hits? "As musicians, we have to comprehend and customise the varying music tastes of the audience. Striking a balance, shuffling between genres, and gauging what the crowd are vibing to, does the trick," he adds.

There’s no denying that music has the power to set you free and enjoy the moment. A recipe of hip-hop, Punjabi, Bollywood, and EDM are the best to serve at weddings. Hot-favourite songs doing the rounds at the moment? "Bijlee Bijlee by Harrdy Sandhu and Jugnu by Badhshah are great to dance to and get the energies soaring high. Subha Hone Na De by Mika Singh is one that just never gets old."

DJ Arjun Shah, also known as DJ AJ, has performed at some of the biggest celebrity weddings, including that of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja, Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta, and most recently, Farhan Akhtar and Shibani Dandekar.