“I’m Nandni, but most people know me as DJ Nandzy – a Telugu female DJ building her space in an industry where very few women, especially from the Telugu scene, have taken centre stage. What makes my journey different is that I’m not just playing music – I’m working to bring Telugu sound and identity into spaces where it was once overlooked.
DJing eventually became my way of storytelling and connection. Confidence, for me, didn’t come from standing on stage; it came from overcoming the fear of judgment. In my early shows, I constantly asked myself if I was making someone’s day better, if the audience was leaving with something memorable. That self-reflection slowly shaped my confidence and helped me understand that DJing is less about performance and more about creating an experience people feel part of.
One of the most defining parts of my journey has been building acceptance for Telugu music in club spaces. In 2024, bringing Tollywood music into Hyderabad clubs wasn’t easy. Many venues believed only Hindi music could draw crowds. Convincing them required patience and persistence, but I believed deeply in the energy of Telugu music and the emotional connection people have with it. Today, Tollywood sets are widely accepted, and Telugu weddings regularly feature guest DJs – something that was once rare. Being part of that shift as a Telugu female DJ feels incredibly meaningful, because it represents both cultural pride and changing perceptions within the industry.
Around the same time, I began expressing my Telugu identity visually during performances. I started performing in a half saree for some signature shows – something people don’t usually expect in a club setting. The initial surprise quickly turned into connection. It added another layer to the experience, blending tradition with contemporary music and making the performance feel more rooted and personal. Over time, it became my way of showing that cultural identity and modern nightlife don’t have to exist separately – they can enhance each other.
Being a female DJ comes with its own challenges, but I chose to focus on strengthening my craft rather than fitting into expectations. For me, professionalism, skill, and the ability to engage an audience matter far more than stereotypes associated with nightlife. That’s the change I hope to see reflected in the industry.
Every show has shaped me, but one of the most defining moments in my journey was my first Telugu college show in Warangal. It was the first time I was booked for a large stage with nearly 5,000 students in the audience.
That set became a turning point for me. It was the first time I played a full Tollywood-heavy set on such a large stage, and the response was overwhelming.
The mixes were loved instantly, the energy from the crowd kept building, and the reaction reminded me why I believed so strongly in Telugu music in the first place. That experience gave me the confidence to trust my instincts and continue building my identity as a Tollywood DJ.
Long before DJing became my profession, I was drawn to expression and communication. I studied at Om Prakash Jindal School in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, for 15 years, where I served as the secretary of the Dramatic Club, managing theatre productions, and even worked briefly as a junior RJ with 94.3 My FM while still in school. Those early experiences helped me realise that I could read people, understand energy, and communicate with an audience – skills that later became the foundation of my DJing journey.
Support has been my backbone throughout this journey — my mentor, my family, my friends, fellow DJs and most importantly, my audience. The people who come early and stay until the end motivate me more than anything. When someone tells me I made their day better, that energy stays with me long after the music stops.
Looking ahead, I see myself growing further as a Tollywood DJ, creating meaningful experiences at weddings, college festivals, and clubs while setting strong standards for performance and professionalism. One of my biggest dreams is to DJ for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL – bringing Telugu energy into a stadium and making thousands of people move together as one.
Every step of this journey has been driven by curiosity, passion, and a belief in the power of music to connect people. That belief continues to guide me – and it’s what I hope to keep sharing, one mix at a time.”