In Conversation with Kochi's Only Resident Female DJ

13 Jul 2016
Ashwathi Nambiar
Features

Nandhini aka DJ Envy takes over the city’s rhythm of the night

Learning to drop the hottest beats and to spin the disc in a way that makes the crowd lose their minds is not a talent that comes easy. But talent is just the beginning; to establish yourself by seizing your passion and tuning it in a perfect blend is the most laborious and challenging task no matter what you are pursuing. Meet Nandhini aka DJ Envy, the only female resident DJ in the city, who has successfully marked her space in this male-dominated sphere. The music mixer handling the Ladies Night at Crowne Plaza opens up about her passion, love and craze for the profession.

Female DJs are rather rare, especially in Kochi. What was your inspiration?

It was during my days in Dubai that I initially came to know about DJing. I was more into dancing and I found the DJ clubs and parties a good platform to dance and have fun with my friends. At 21, when I was allowed into clubs, I was very excited. But at the same time, what struck me was the fact that there was a lack of choice over music track selection. This reflection opened the doors to DJing and I started to select and mix tracks I wanted. It was not an easy ride for me. I had to face all possible restrictions from my family and relatives.

You have lived in Dubai, Delhi and then Kochi. What was your journey like?

More than anything, I couldn’t find the right guidance to tune my path. Luckily I got a chance to go to Delhi and there my dreams bloomed. I regularly met my guide, and still there were many hurdles to overcome. Abruptly I ended my stint in Delhi and came to Kochi. Joining a prestigious radio station, I also pursued part-time studies. When I found that I failed in dedicating myself to learning music mixing, I decided to leave my RJ cap. Finally after a learning that consumed an entire year, I started doing shows on my own.

Who gave you a strong support and guidance to pursue your passion?

The major source of my inspiration were my mentors DJ Arvee and DJ Karthik. It was Arvee who helped me in arranging my very first show. And whenever there was a requirement for a female DJ, both of them suggested my name. Being well known DJs in Kochi, they were able to help me a lot in meeting other DJs and event managers around the city.

Did you ever feel that people viewed male and female DJs differently?

Not entirely, but it’s true that female DJs are always a point of attraction. Infact, it is an element of surprise in this part of the world, as we have few female DJs. After this excitement what I have found on these faces are the sceptical looks. People scorn us with their misconception that technical handling is alien to female hands. I’m breaking that stereotype here. Though I received much humiliation and weird comments in my earlier period of being a lady music mixer, these criticisms have helped a lot in my development and establishment. I find being a girl a privilege, as I am able to mix and play different songs from sweet melodious tracks to the bold, loud and dark tracks. Also, it’s a platform to prove that you have the capability of handling such a huge crowd.

What is your opinion on the lack of women in this stream?

It is quite embarrassing to find such a situation where the society gives us a bad name. The number of people aware of this job is so low. The only thing that these people come across is the tarnished image of DJs in the media. Nowadays the tag DJ is replaced by “artist” because they find the term so bad for public use. So the chance of risk and difficulty doubles when the attempt is done by a woman. A lot of talented girls are shunned from entering this area, as parents believe that dignity is the sole property of white collar jobs. I still have relatives who ask me to choose some other job that is worthy.

What is that positive element that you find in yourself as an exceptional quality?

My smile. It’s often my smile that helps me to get over or come up from difficult situations.

Who would Nandhini have been if you hadn’t been a DJ or an anchor?

I can’t do anything else. I haven’t even thought of a second option because this is what I want. I can’t even imagine a situation where I would end up in a corporate office, or any other place.

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