Rishabh

There was a time you could not turn on Channel V, MTV or ETC without hearing a DJ Aqeel remix.

Born Aqeel Ali in Hyderabad in 1977, he started DJing private parties in Mumbai in the mid-90s before releasing his debut album Shake It Daddy Mix in 2001. Then came Tu Tu Hai Wahi, his remix of Yeh Wada Raha from 1982, which became one of the most recognisable tracks of the decade. Then Disco 82. Then Aap Jaisa Koi. Kishore Kumar’s voice on a four-on-the-floor beat. Your parents’ songs at your college party. And then songs like Kehedun Tumhe, Chadti Jawaani Meri, and many more.

What made him different was that he kept the original vocals of classic songs intact and built electronic production around them, rather than replacing everything from scratch. The nostalgia stayed. The energy changed. Nobody else was doing it that way.

Over his career he released more than 10 albums and over 300 Bollywood remixes, composed for Salaam Namaste and Fanaa, and owned the Hype Nightclub in Worli, Mumbai. He has performed at private events for the biggest names in Bollywood and cricket, the kind of gatherings that never get covered but everyone knows happened.