Interview: Hyderabad DJ Boh!B explains redefining club culture via Besharam, one Bollywood track at a time

Hyderabad: What began as a house party moment, friends, board games and nostalgic Bollywood playing in the background, has now grown into one of India’s most recognisable desi nightlife IPs.

Besharam, founded by Hyderabad-based DJ Boh!B, isn’t just about Bollywood music in a club. It’s about reclaiming joy, taste and cultural confidence in spaces that once dismissed them as uncool.

Now touring across Indian cities, Besharam has become a shared language of music people grew up with, fashion they once reserved for weddings and a collective decision to stop feeling embarrassed about what they love.

In this candid conversation with NewsMeter, Boh!B reflects on how it all began, why ‘guilty pleasure’ culture needed to be challenged and what being ‘besharam’ truly means today.

The idea of Besharam

NewsMeter: When you first imagined Besharam, what were you reacting against in Indian club culture at the time?

Boh!B: For almost nine years of my career, I was playing hip hop, dance music and alternative styles. That’s what I was about as an artist. But everything changed one night at a house party.

There were six or seven of us, close friends, some drinks, board games and my friends and my wife started playing nostalgic Bollywood music. The vibe in that room was something else. Everyone was singing, unapologetically, to what we all secretly considered our guiltiest pleasure songs.

That was the moment it hit me: why does this only exist in living rooms? Why can’t this energy exist in a club?

NM: You’ve often spoken about desi music being treated like a ‘guilty pleasure.’ Why do you think that happened?

Boh!B: At some point, it became a guilty pleasure for me, too. Growing up, I was heavily influenced by rap and hip hop. That’s the music I listened to, identified with and wanted to play. Desi music slowly became something I only enjoyed in safe spaces, house parties, close friends and my home.

A big reason for that was how this music was presented in clubs. It became hyper-commercial, predictable, and honestly, boring. That presentation pushed people like me away from it, even though emotionally, we were still deeply connected to it.

NM: Was Besharam always meant to be an IP, or did it grow into one?

Boh!B: Not at all. It started with a Diwali party at The Moonshine Project, three or four years ago.

At that time, Diwali was considered a dead night for Hyderabad’s nightlife. Clubs assumed nobody would step out. We decided to throw a pay-what-you-want Diwali party anyway.

The response changed everything. People showed up in ethnic wear. The place was packed. The energy was unreal. That night shifted our perception completely. We realised this couldn’t just be a once-a-year thing.

That’s when we started testing it out, on Wednesday nights called Besharam Budhwar. Eventually, it became a monthly IP. Ticketed shows. Guest artists. A proper format. That growth happened very organically.

Music, curation and taste

NM: There’s a fine line between nostalgia and novelty. How do you curate that balance?

Boh!B: My curation is a very transparent reflection of my taste. I don’t latch onto trends or play songs just because they’re viral. I play music I genuinely like and believe in, hoping there are others out there who feel the same way.

I was honestly shocked by how many people connected with it, not just in India, but elsewhere too.

NM: Besharam doesn’t rely heavily on over-processed EDM remixes. Why?

Boh!B: Because original tracks complement my style of DJing.

My approach is heavily inspired by Red Bull Thre3style, an open-format DJ competition from the pre-lockdown era. DJs would mix multiple genres seamlessly in a short set, using transitions instead of heavy edits.

That competition completely changed how I viewed DJing. I apply that same open-format philosophy to desi music. That’s why I prefer originals, they give me space to blend, switch moods and surprise people without killing the soul of the track.

NM: Has playing Besharam nights changed how you understand Indian music?

Boh!B: It hasn’t changed how I understand it, but it’s given me confidence.

Confidence that there are other people like me, who enjoy this music but were taught to feel awkward about it. Besharam became the occasion that brought all of us together.

Fashion, expression and the dancefloor

NM: Ethnic wear has become a big part of the Besharam experience. Did you expect that?

Boh!B: The original image of Besharam in my head was always tied to that Diwali night, people singing, dancing, dressed in their best desi fits.

We didn’t want fashion to be optional. We wanted people to embrace it, interpret it in their own way and complete the experience. For me, the music and the fashion together make Besharam whole.

NM: Can nightlife be about cultural reclaiming and escapism at the same time?

Boh!B: Absolutely. At the end of the day, we’re reclaiming culture, but we’re also selling alcohol.

Besharam walks that fine line. The identity of the night is strong enough to give our culture a footing in nightlife spaces, while still being a place where you can drink, escape your routine, and just have fun.

Hyderabad roots

NM: How did Hyderabad shape Besharam?

Boh!B: Hyderabad isn’t the easiest city to start something like this. Bollywood isn’t the dominant sound here; regional music has a much bigger presence.

Cities like Bombay or Delhi would’ve been more obvious choices. But despite all odds, Besharam worked here. And that gave us confidence. If it could fly in Hyderabad, it could fly anywhere.

In hindsight, it always felt like Besharam was meant to be born here.

The national tour

NM: What changes when Besharam travels to other cities?

Boh!B: The crowd changes. The city changes. But the core idea doesn’t.

This is a safe soundscape, music people already know. That’s always worked in our favour. The reactions have been great everywhere.

Bombay, though? That was something else. The response there was insane.

NM: What has surprised you most on tour?

Boh!B: Realising that people already know my transitions. Watching a crowd react before the drop because they recognise what’s coming next, that’s a crazy feeling.

I was just a DJ making mashups in my bedroom. Seeing people consume and celebrate that in real time across cities is still something I’m processing.

NM: How do you retain the soul of Besharam while adapting to new audiences?

Boh!B: As a DJ, I adapt slightly to demographics. But as a show, I don’t drift from the core concept. I present it unapologetically, my way. That honesty has worked everywhere so far.

Community and responsibility

NM: When did you realise Besharam had become a community?

Boh!B: After the fourth or fifth show. That’s when we knew this wasn’t just an event—it was a gathering that would keep growing.

NM: Do you feel a sense of responsibility now?

Boh!B: Not really. I’m just a DJ being myself, playing music I love, unapologetically. And I think that’s exactly what Besharam represents.

The business and the belief

NM: What advice would you give creators building their own IPs?

Boh!B: I’m not here to give advice, but here’s what I believe in:

Practice your craft.

Be the dopest version of yourself.

And don’t keep that dopeness to yourself, put it out there.

Whether you have zero followers or zero subscribers, just share your work. Real skill doesn’t go unnoticed.

Looking ahead

NM: Do you see Besharam becoming a festival or expanding further?

Boh!B: I honestly don’t know. I’m still recovering from the response we’ve gotten in Delhi, Bombay and Hyderabad. But I’m excited to find out where this goes.

NM: Finally, what does being ‘besharam’ mean to you today?

Boh!B: Do not be shy about being yourself. Ever.