Set to revive the DJ Of The Year award at the INCA, DJ Akbar Sami reflects on his journey of being one among the earliest music mixers in India. "When we started off, it was impossible to reach out to people given the absence of [an established] social media [scene]. People wouldn't understand my profession," he says. Asserting that the growth of social media has made it easy for people to enter the profession, Sami points out that a professional course too is no longer a requisite to take to the art.

"But people should still aspire to learn the art form from a professional institution. [The growth of a poor breed of DJs is] also why night clubs and pubs in the city are opening and shutting down in no time." Sami, who recently turned singer with a rehashed version of Kabhi Kabhi, plans to lend his voice to upcoming singles, Dard-e-Dil and Naach Meri Jaan. He also has a tour across America planned for 2019.