He is all excited to indulge in besan laddoos as he preps for the shoot in Mumbai. World leading DJ-music producer Niles Hollowell-Dhar aka KSHMR loves the festival of lights and is grateful that he gets to celebrate the festival at all his gigs. “My concerts are like Diwali... they are all about light, music, happiness, fun and people coming together, things that Diwali is synonymous with,” says the Karam hitmaker, who has roots in India, with is father hailing from Jammu and Kashmir.
Though he grew up in America and his dad “never really celebrated any festivals”, KSHMR has fond memories of celebrating Diwali in India a couple of times: “When I was young, I would visit my grandparents in East of Kailash in Delhi and celebrate the festival with them. They told me that Diwali was about good beating the bad, light beating the darkness. I have fond memories of spending time with them.”
He adds, “I travelled to India around Diwali five years ago to meet my pianist friend Hasit Nanda in Gurugram. He and his family wrote my name with lights outside their house and it was beautiful. I celebrated the festival with them.”
{{/usCountry}}He adds, “I travelled to India around Diwali five years ago to meet my pianist friend Hasit Nanda in Gurugram. He and his family wrote my name with lights outside their house and it was beautiful. I celebrated the festival with them.”
{{/usCountry}}KSHMR says music is a light he spreads and that makes him feel empowered. The Legacy maker explains, “When my fans tell me that my music helped them overcome a tough phase and filled them with happiness and light, it feels gratifying. Another way of spreading light is by helping new music producers with all the support they need. That’s the legacy I want to leave behind.”
Recalling a dark phase when music acted like a light and helped him navigate the phase, KSHMR says, “When I was young, my parents split up. There was a time I didn’t see my dad for a while. I was so angry and stressed that I wouldn’t see anybody, including my closest friend. Music was my only companion at that time, not because it lifted me from that hole, but because it accompanied me in that dark space. Music is not always about lifting you up, sometimes it’s just good to have it as a companion.”