Singer. Rapper. DJ. The three ingredients for a ‘lit’ party evening came together at MTV Bollyland, partnered by t2 and held at P.C. Chandra Greens, Gold Acres, on December 18. Desi beats from the best of B-town performers meant the crowd never settled down! t2 snap chats and shots...

Beats for party peeps: Shalmali Kholgade

Shalmali Kholgade knows Baby ko bass pasand hai and all she had to do was lean into the mic and let the sick beats take over. Soon followed Aga bai halla machyere, Besharmi ki height and Lat lag gayi.

Dance the stress away: Sukh-E

Sukh-E was all about party numbers and he gave the right vibes starting with Jaguar. Also on his playlist were Sniper and Kari kari rein.

SUKH-E SPEAK

On what makes Punjabi music so press-play worthy...

Punjabi music is foot-tapping. Zyada naachne waale gaane bajaate hain, right? These days people want to dance and enjoy themselves; stay away from stress.
 
His favourite Punjabi singer during his growing-up years...

If I want to listen to slow songs, I’d listen to Gurdas Maan ji. He is a legend. If it comes to hip hop, there is Bohemia. Everyone has a different style. If we want stylised music, I’d say Jazzy B.

HERE’S TO ONE CRORE NEHARTS: NEHA KAKKAR

“Ami bhalo ache,” said Neha Kakkar, the final act of 2016’s MTV Bollyland. The Snapchat and selfie queen kicked off her performance with Kar gayi chull from Kapoor & Sons. With her latest Maahi ve and Kala chashma, she got Calcutta thumakda to London thumakda.

NEHA SPEAK

On her voice being her USP...

That’s something that people love about me. Bahut saare log bolte hain ki Manali trance jitna achchha aapne gaya waisa shaayad koi aur na gaa paye. Woh jo Kala chasma (sings the song) aapne kiya, no one else could have done it that way.
 
Track she’s dancing to...

The Humma Song! I love it!

Her plans for Christmas and New Year...

After Christmas I’m taking a break since I’ve been performing back to back. It has been a roller-coaster year but filled with amazing songs and amazing response. I’m going to complete one crore fans on Facebook. So I’m really happy and thankful to god and, of course, my Neharts!

Neha’s #OOTN ticked all boxes:
High-waist ripped denims with a hint of bling. Metallic eyes. Kala chashma. Patched jacket. Choker.

DJ Anshul (left) and Kiran Kamath were a riot of beats. They got the crowd grooving to Bolly tracks such as Sau aasmaan, Abhi toh party, Cutiepie and Love you zindagi.

Aditya Hembram, the winner of a competition organised by MTV, set the tone for the evening with Bol do na zara

KIRAN SPEAK

On what makes a successful mash-up...

Right content. Most of the time, we choose 30-odd songs but you can’t add them all. Mash-ups are dependent on the key and the range. Since different songs are produced and composed in different keys, you have to find that one key where you can get all the songs together. In that process some songs are left out. Also, lyrics are very important.
 
Tips for young DJs who want to make a mash-up...

You need to learn an instrument; it’s very, very important. That’s the core. You learn music and everything else will fall in place.
 
His top five mash-ups...

Zero Hour Mashup, which came in 2011 and was the first ever mash-up to come out of Bollywood. Then, the Mashup Of The Year (Student of the Year), Aashiqui 2 Mashup, Love Mashup 2016 and the current one Best of 2016, released on Sony Music.

DHAAKAD MAN: RAFTAAR

Dhaakad is playing as loud in your head as it did on Raftaar’s set list. He set the stage on fire with his energetic performances of Swag mera desi and All black.

RAFTAAR SPEAK

On working with Pritam and Aamir Khan for the Dangal song Dhaakad...

Pritamda is Bengali, so there is always a softer side to him. And he is the one who gives me a chance to do the kind of sound I want to do. I want to talk about social causes. That’s what I did with Dangal. And then it’s Aamir Khan, he’s a perfectionist. If Aamir Khan has approved a rapper to do the main song of his movie, it definitely has to cut me some credit.
 
On what got him hooked to music...

Sitting idle at home yaar! (Laughs) Because mom and dad were working and I was their only kid; music kept me company.
 
Tips for upcoming rappers...

Be a wannabe! That’s very necessary.