Bollywood actress Udita Goswami, who was seen in films like Paap, Aksar and Zeher, is now back in action; however, not on screen. She’s now a full-time deejay, and in a chat with us, she reveals how she was never happy facing the camera and has found her true calling. Udita says, “Love for music runs in the family. My brother works in the corporate world, but if you give him a guitar, he can become the life of a party. From a very young age, I enjoyed music, and it made me happy.”

Udita says, “I am quite sure that if I wasn’t an actress, I would have become a musician. I had forayed into music in 2012, and then I got married (to filmmaker Mohit Suri) in 2013. I was the deejay at one of my wedding parties, and my friend DJ Suketu, taught me more about music. I never did a course in acting, but I went through a course in music production!”

She shares, “In those days, many models were becoming actors. I was also modelling in Delhi when Pooja (Bhatt), who was looking for an actress in Paap, came to Delhi and offered me the film. Everything fell into place, and I became an actress. Acting is serious business, you need to be talented to act, and I felt that I was not cut out for it. Acting is not about looking good.”

Her passion for full-fledged deejaying took off after her kids were born. She says, “I decided to resume after my daughter Devi turned four, but in 2017, my son was born, and then again, I took a break for two years. Then the pandemic happened. Post that, I did a three-month intensive course in music and deejaying, and now I am doing one gig in a week. I have learnt it the hard way. It is now easier for me. I just go with the energy of the crowd about the choice of songs.”

Udita adds, “I don’t want to go for private parties, I want to play for college festivals, clubs and make it memorable for everyone. I often have this discussion with Mohit and say, ‘I wonder why I ever thought of becoming an actor?’ But he tells me that being an actor has somehow led me to this.”

There are not many female deejays in the country, and Udita shares how it is not easy because of safety reasons. “There are times when people get drunk. When that happens, I don’t oblige them with any pictures and make sure that my bouncers are around,” she says. But Udita feels people haven’t fully accepted her as a DJ.

She says, “It has been tough to get acceptance as a DJ. I am still facing resistance from people. I laugh out loud and tell those people to come to my gigs and see for themselves. I have practised in eateries post lunchtime when they were shut, or early in the mornings. I have worked hard at it.”