Overview:
In an interview with India Currents, DJ Rekha of Basement Bhangra points out that assimilation in a new country is neither easy nor natural, and that identity can change with context.
‘Bhangra’s Ambassador’
Directed by Eugene Yi, The A List, the opening film at CAAMFest 2026, is a compilation of 15 stories exploring identity in the Asian and Pacific diasporas in its various forms. Actor Sandra Oh, comedian Kumail Nanjiani, Senator Tammy Duckworth, entrepreneur and social activist Amanda Nguyen, and DJ Rekha are some of the people who share their stories.
Born in London as Rekha Malhotra, DJ Rekha is a New York-based DJ, producer, curator, educator, and activist. Often referred to as “Bhangra’s Ambassador,” DJ Rekha is credited with pioneering the fusion of traditional Bhangra and Bollywood sounds with hip-hop, dub, and electronic dance music in North America. Their iconic Basement Bhangra club night launched in 1997 became a global phenomenon that popularized the genre in NYC clubs.
The film played on May 7, at 6.45 pm at the AMC Kabuki in San Francisco. It debuts May 13 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Speaking to India Currents ahead of the screening, DJ Rekha points out that assimilation in a new country is neither easy nor natural, and that identity can change with context.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Alka Raghuram: In stories of immigrants, conversations about identity center around the need to fit in, to change oneself, rather than self-love. Can you speak more about that? How did it shape you as a person and an artist?
DJ Rekha: I think every immigrant’s path is unique and the idea that assimilation is natural is not always true. In a lot of ways, it depends on class position. There are many immigrants who feel safe in their own communities, and I don’t think that needing to adapt to a new environment means you don’t have self-love. I think that people don’t have just one identity; it changes with context. For me, safety cannot be easily described, and it’s dependent on many things, including the current political climate. As a queer South Asian non-binary person, I can feel more unsafe with people from my same ethnic background sometimes than I can in other spaces.
Alka R: In the film, you speak about creating a space for people to dance after 9/11. Can you speak more about the mapping of joy, joy-making, and activism in your work?
DJ Rekha: A place where you can dance is a place of joy. Sikh turbaned men, Muslims and folks from all ethnicities have always come to Basement Bhangra. But after 9/11, the public messaging we were getting was, “Don’t let the terrorists win” — whatever the hell that means. Islamophobia was on the rise, and folks in New York City whose families were being targeted by special registration and the quote “war on terror” didn’t feel safe going out. Many of the folks who attended the party were involved in working against these policies. Activism and revolution are hard work — you need a place to blow off steam. My intention to hold our September 2001 party was to give people that kind of space. Although Basement Bhangra is no longer a monthly party, my goal remains the same in every space I play.
Alka R: How did you decide that DJing was your vocation? How did it evolve?
DJ Rekha: I did not consciously decide to make DJing the core of my artistic practice. I was always drawn to creative pursuits, but was not sure how to make that into a career. I worked in nonprofits, community orgs, even a financial company while I was struggling to finish my undergrad. I got involved in various South Asian community organizations. I started a DJ crew with my cousins, Deepak and Nitin Kapoor. They were 6 and 4 years younger but due to family circumstances, they moved back to India and eventually settled in Australia, working in HR and IT. With my cousins, our roles were very gendered, so they did most of the technical stuff and I, being slightly older with a car and a credit card, was more of the admin. After they left, I wasn’t sure I could do it alone, but then I met Jay Bhattacharya, a college radio DJ. We bonded over Queens and NY hip-hop. A year after our first gig (an auntie’s surprise party), we were playing at Central Park SummerStage. The year after that, we started Basement Bhangra, the monthly party that ran for 20 years. Jay left after a few years. Because of the success of Basement Bhangra and the community it generated, along with other organizations that helped build the creative community like SAWCC (South Asian Women’s Creative Collective), I felt empowered to embrace making music my main gig. One of those people who was a huge support and comrade during these early days was/is Sarita Khurana who has two films in the festival- A Seat at the Table and The Last Resort. I also met Karla Murthy then through SAWCC and now, I’m an executive producer on her film, The Gas Station Attendant [also showing at CAAMFest].
Alka R: Who were your influences?
DJ Rekha: How much ink do you have? My parents for their tenacity and how they built community and hosted people. Musically, I was very into Prince, Hip-hop, Hindi Film music (before it was called Bollywood), and new wave. Also, poets and writers, Nikki Giovanni, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde.
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Dates: May 7–10, 2026
Tickets: Prices range from $13 to $80.
More Info: Visit CAAMFest.com for tickets and full programming.
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit dedicated to presenting the diversity of Asian American experiences through film, television, and digital media. India Currents is a media partner of CAAMFest.
