Diwali bangers: A pataka playlist

 

Editor’s note: As with every Diwali, we are playing DJ with this curated playlist that is carefully crafted to suit the mood and tempo of your party. We begin with desi dholtronics, segue into angrezi beats, switch to rock and roll, return to desi again, and slowly wind down the energy and move into nocturnal pop as the night owls welcome the work day after Diwali.

 

And as always, we’ve put all the songs into a YouTube and Spotify playlist for you to play at your next Diwali party.

 

*****

 

‘Dupatta Beimaan Re’ from Popcorn Khao! Mast Ho Jao (2004)

 

The dupatta is disloyal this evening—what better way to declare an SOP for the Diwali party? Sunidhi Chauhan, a natural at soulful ballads and kinetic item songs alike, teamed up with Vishal-Shekhar for one of their earliest collaborations. The same combo would go on to give us future bangers like ‘Saaki’ and ‘Sheila Ki Jawaani’.

 

‘Iski Uski’ from 2 States (2014)

 

Amping up the Diwali mood further with another deeply unserious dancey song with pounding dhols and fun vocals. Perhaps your Punjabi friend will be blushing to lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya's delicious hook:

 

Iski uski kaun kiski / Yaaran da imaan whiskey,

Uspe chicken ho toh hor wadhiya

Pretty pretty face jitthe / Jatta always utthe

Maamla done ho toh hor wadhiya

 

Doesn’t matter who belongs to whom/He just believes in whiskey
Even better if chicken is there
Wherever there’s a pretty face/Our Punjabi friend’s always there
Even better if they are together

 

 

‘Muqabala Muqabala’ from Humse Hai Muqabala (1994)

 

AR Rahman, of course, has to be here. But what of the master? Our pick is a vintage ARR from his very early days. This one is an all-time favourite for Gen X and older millennials. Originally a Tamil song from the Prabhudeva-starrer blockbuster Kadhalan (1994), the Hindi version was a rage, especially with bizarre lyrics like: 

 

Jurassic Park mein sundar se jodey / jazz music gaye milke,

Picasso ki painting mera peeche pakadke / Texas mein nache milke

 

Beautiful couples sing jazz music together in Jurassic Park

Hold a Picasso painting and sit behind me, we'll dance together in Texas

 

‘Ringa Ringa’ from Aarya 2 (2009)

 

Bet half of you will begin showing off your dancing skills to this. The OG Allu Arjun’s spine-torturing moves for this song catapulted him to national fame early when videos of Telugu and Tamil hits would circulate among engineering college students. An infectious tune, it is impossible to keep your body still to this Devi Sri Prasad (Pushpa [2021], and more) banger.

 

‘Badli Si Hawa Hai’ from The Ba***ds of Bollywood (2025)

We gotta have Arijit Singh here, don’t we? The recent Aryan Khan Netflix show made all the right noises for its tongue-in-cheek humour, but this beaut of a club track from Tamil hit machine Anirudh Ravichander slipped past the radar. As your DJs this Diwali, we happily throw this in as we slowly segue into more electronic terrains.

‘Sajna Ji Vaari Vaari’ from Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007)

 

Monster bass and beats from the only composer duo in Bollywood using ‘90s big beat and rave giants like The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy as references. Once again featuring Vishal-Shekhar’s favourite, Sunidhi Chauhan, this folktronic millennial classic is very hard to stay still to.
 

‘B2b’ by Charli xcx

 

We slowly move away from desi electronica to videshi. Last year’s monster success Brat is still reverberating through dance floors—and the discourse—as Taylor Swift allegedly took a swipe at Charli xcx in her latest album. Well, the internet is on Charli’s side (and psst… so are some of us here at splainer). 

 

‘Rockafeller Skank’ by Fatboy Slim

 

The angrez-chale-gaye-lekin-aulad-chhod-gaye (The Brits have left their kids behind) have taken over the turntables. Fatboy Slim’s instant classic—with its glitched out, robotic catchphrase (Right about now… the funk soul brother… check it out now) arranged on repeat over thick, blazing breakbeat rhythms—is music you hear with your entire body.

 

‘Lose Yourself to Dance’ by Daft Punk

 

It ain’t no party without some Daft Punk. A slow and seductive disco track featuring a funky guitar riff from Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nile Rodgers, this one will slow the tempo just about enough after some breathless beats.

 

‘Daft Punk is Playing at my House’ by LCD Soundsystem

 

A natural follow-up to not just Daft Punk, but also a deliberate attempt to introduce more guitars into this playlist and slowly steer us into rock and roll territory from club and dance. This is a millennial classic, with a pretty sincere and emotional core. James Murphy is singing to the young’uns, recalling the early days of Daft Punk when he would play them as a DJ. Sounds a bit like us, no?

 

‘Song 2’ by Blur

 

The four humble chords that introduce ‘Song 2’ are one of alt-rock’s great misdirections. The song descends, almost instantly, into chaos, as crackling, distorted guitars engage in an ugly clash with the paranoid drums. On top of it rest Damon Albarn’s euphoric “woo hoos”, over and over and over again. One of those irresistible songs that begs for an off-key chorus of drunk revellers. Woo hoo!

 

‘Misery Business’ by Paramore

 

The rockers have taken over the party! Angry guitars, crashing cymbals, rumbling-tumbling bass all around. Help! This one’s the perfect scream-along song to let your inner rage out. And, of course, to see if you can perfect your Hayley Williams imitation (spoiler alert: you can’t).

 

‘Kajra Re’ from Bunty Aur Babli

 

Enough of this imported noise, someone will declare, and switch to a ghee-soaked, calorie-heavy Bollywood dance number. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Gulzar, Alisha Chinai, uff… this is a critic-proof entry in the playlist.

 

‘The Next Episode feat. Snoop Dogg’ by Dr. Dre

 

If we are going for popular 2000s bangers, how can we not pay tribute to His Highness, professional pothead Snoop Dogg? Gangsta rap trailblazer Dr. Dre’s collab with Snoop is full of braggadocio and bluster. Within the first few seconds, in fact, the two luminaries announce their arrival—over a playful plink-plonk melody and a fat, persistent bassline—taking verse turns to strut their stuff. ‘The Next Episode’ starts big, stays big, ends big. It offers no room for rumination; this is nonstop elation.

 

‘Sapphire’ by Ed Sheeran

 

Let’s bring us all the way back from the brink of the millennium to the present. Ed Sheeran’s indeed got the formula for a catchy tune down pat. This song, an instant earworm, comes with an all-too-familiar Punjabi essence courtesy Arijit Singh.

 

‘Enjoy Enjaami feat. Arivu’ by Dhee

 

As we are close to midnight, we need something with a bit more soul to slow things down. Pop and hip hop collide on ‘Enjoy Enjaami’, as Dhee’s gorgeous melodies serve as bookends to Arivu’s piercing rap verses. The song, resting in a mid-tempo space with dense rhythmic interplay underpinning the voices, has an uncertain stillness to it, pockmarked by sudden crests. Meanwhile, the singalongable hook is jubilant and can bring the dead back to life.

 

‘Dark Paradise (Parov Stelar Remix)’ by Lana Del Rey

 

Officially after hours now. Some of your friends and cousins are dead tired, have left, or are preparing to sleep. Some are deep in the throes of post-dinner-and-drinks melancholy. But some still want to party! We hear a dancey track with longing? We give you LDR’s classic yearning with a sensual, seductive beat.

 

‘All Time Low’ by Nine Inch Nails

 

Now, you are going to have to lower the volume or the neighbours will complain. Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails have an unlikely groovy track here that would also be a great fit for pole dancing. Keep up with the vibe, please.

 

‘The Rip’ by Portishead

 

Only five-six or eight-nine of you are up-up now, depending on whether you are on the right or wrong side of 30s. Of this, 40% are pretending to stay wide awake, just to not seem uncool. Afraid not. This one starts like a lullaby and flows gently, long enough for the sleepyheads to switch off, and then the beat kicks in quite late. 

 

‘Machine Gun’ by Slowdive

 

Some of you are now talking about life, love, heartache, career and family woes over whatever drinks are left, while the resourceful one has managed to jugaad some liquour. The music is understandably on low flame. We recommend this shoegaze classic. Slowdive walked, so Cigarettes after Sex could run. 

 

‘Angel’ by Massive Attack

 

Nocturnal music for the night owls. The menacing bass and spooky atmosphere might just bring those spirits into your home that ‘Jhalak Dikhlaja’ was accused of doing decades back in some village. Ensure to keep the light low when this is playing. We picture a hazy, dark memory of a Diwali party, four of you huddled close to the balcony, moonlight gracing the lot of you.

 

‘Fever’ by Peggy Lee

 

It’s the dead of night, and tomorrow’s a work day. Half of you have decided to retire into another room and sleep. And one of you had been waiting to throw in some jazz for a long time after dancing through the evening. What better than this sexy, sassy all-timer?

 

‘107 feat. Malabika Brahma’ by Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator

 

The sun is peeking out. There’s a cool breeze outside. You can feel a ghost of a fog; winter is near. Your head and body is aching. You will possibly hit the bed for a quick nap. Embrace the day with this invigorating mix of a tasty guitar riff, electronic beats, and Baul singer Malabika Brahma’s soaring vox: “Tor moto ke ache bhaggoban?” (Who else is as lucky as you?)

 

 

Here’s our Spotify playlist, just for you!