Girl on the Beat
The region’s first and the only woman DJ, Varnika Kundu, who was recently in Egypt for a gig, is all set to make her own music now
She says you can leave her alone with music for days, and there would be no complaints. This has been true ever since she was in class five when her father made her an audio mixer for her birthday. She caresses her high-end equipment as she says this.
The region’s first and only woman DJ, Varnika Kundu, who has been making people groove to her tunes for the past six years, in fact, this is the only profession where she can feel at peace. “I always wanted a job where I can listen to music all day long,” says the 28-year-old resident of Panchkula. Insisting that she loves the energy of the dance music and can effortlessly play 24 hours non-stop, Kundu, who was recently in Egypt for a gig, plays regularly at clubs in Delhi and Mumbai, besides Chandigarh.
Attributing her success to the support from her parents, the young DJ says that they gave her wings and a spirit to find her calling in life for it would have been impossible for her to take this up had her parents objected her decision. “They were happy that I finished my graduation from Panjab University, Chandigarh in 2010. My parents stand by me.”
Contrary to popular perception, Kundu has never faced a problem because of her gender. “It has always worked for me. Not many people have grooved to the beats of a woman DJ, after all it’s still a boy’s club. And to be honest, I’ll be quite disappointed if another woman entered the scene to share the limelight,” she adds. Though admitting that it’s easier for her manager to get friendly with club owners and gig organisers, Kundu adds, “They take a little time to open up to me. But I guess that is natural.”
For Kundu, making her own music is the ultimate aim. She has made several tracks already. “Being a DJ can take me only so far. I need to finish some more tracks before releasing my album. There was a time when I started learning how to play a guitar, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.”
Though ‘Miracle Drugg’ is how people know her, Kundu says that music is the only drug that gives her a high. “Of course when people see me in the middle of a performance, their imagination generally runs wild,” says the high-spirited artiste.
Being the only woman DJ in the region has always worked for me. Not many people have grooved to the beats of a woman DJ, after all it’s still a boy’s club. And to be honest, I’ll be quite disappointed if another woman entered the scene to share the limelight.