CHENNAI: When DJ Sanjay Dutta realised that he was going to perform in Chennai on a day CSK was playing, he lost all hope of seeing any crowd at his performance. But on Friday, when he was at Blend in Taj Club House, he was pleasantly surprised to see not just a full house, but a place so packed people could hardly move, let alone dance. This comes as reinforcement of the effect Dutta generally has on club goers everywhere.This is not Dutta's first visit to Chennai and he remembers every visit to the city in his 22-year stint as a DJ. Be it even that occasion in the past when he was waiting outside the south Indian tiffin centre Saptagiri in the wee hours one morning waiting for steamy idlis and filter coffee. A DJ who has not played extensively at clubs and parties across the country, Dutta says he always disliked the culture of playing commercial music. He believes in intelligent music that can make people think rather than "just dance like monkeys”. Even people in Chennai, a city which he says likes a lot of commercial, enjoyed his music that he describes as "happy, international and eclectic".Is the kind of music he plays the only kind of music he appreciates? No! This DJ has his feet rooted in the past. "I am a huge fan of R D Burman and Kishore Kumar," says Sanjay, adding with a grin that such music soothes him during his "crabby" times and helps analyse his music better.This Kolkata boy took up DJing as a career after he graduated in Political Science and refused to take over his family business in tailoring. About his early DJing days, he says, "I used to play electronic and progressive house at private parties and nightclubs in Kolkata in the '90s. There were days when I played till 6 am because the crowds never budged." DJs like Ivin, who would often visit Kolkata, spread the word about Sanjay in Delhi and Mumbai and suddenly, the whole country wanted him to play for them.Sanjay behind the console is very different from the Sanjay one meets over a cup of coffee (that he likes having really strong!). He says he has two different goals in life — to never see an unhappy child and to own a Ferrari some day! Ask him about how he is going to make both happen, he laughs and says, "By never shirking social responsibility and auctioning my collection of 10,000 music records."Dutta is one of the best DJs in the country and believes in doing what his heart says — no matter how varied and impossible it seems. Which perhaps explains why he started a company that deals with protein supplements even as he continues to rock the country with his music.What an interesting visitor the city has had!
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