Spinning dreams on wheels

When an accident left him partially paralysed, music was Varun Khullar’s first refuge, which then became his career. This is the story of the making of DJ Aamish

If you were to head to Vagator, Goa, for a major music festival at the end of this year, you could meet Varun Khullar, 26, India’s first disabled DJ — and only the second such person in the world —who’s set to perform on the opening day.

Varun, aka DJ Aamish, who was paralysed from waist down in an accident in June 2014, dug himself out of a pit of misery with the help of music. He recalls the first day when he learnt, after regaining consciousness at the hospital that he could never walk again. “I was [at first] in denial, but then my mother started crying and I couldn’t see her shattered like that. In that moment, I suddenly felt this wave of determination in my body, and I told my mother, ‘Everything is fine. I am fine.’ The memory is still fresh in my mind, like a wound that’ll never heal,” says Varun.

Through two years of physiotherapy, what kept Varun strong was his music. As a student, he was an amateur DJ at friends’ parties, and later, he trained formally in DJing. After the accident though, this skill gave him an idea of what the future might look like. “I used to spend my time reading and researching on how to be a DJ. With time, as I got better, I slowly started to socialise with friends. I also learned to drive, which gave my confidence a huge boost,” says Varun.

As his confidence returned, Varun was ready to kick-start his career, and he wanted some more DJing lessons. After many rejections, he was accepted into an academy.

The next step was getting work as a DJ. However, Varun wanted to be hired for the right reasons. “I didn’t want people to give me a job just because I’m on a wheelchair. I didn’t want them to see me as a hapless victim. If I got a job, then it had to be because of my talent and hard work,” he says.

His tenacity paid off — Varun has been one of the resident DJs at a five-star Delhi hotel since September. He says that being a DJ, playing to a large crowd, gives meaning to his life. “I’ve had the best nights of my life here,” says Varun, in his avatar as DJ aAmish. “People appreciate me because of my music, not because am on a wheelchair.”

I didn’t want people to give me a job just because I’m on a wheelchair. I didn’t want them to see me as a hapless victim. If I got a job, then it had to be because of my talent and hard work. DJ AAMISH, DJ

PHOTO: RAAJESSH KASHYAP Varun Khullar aka DJ Aamish