Red Bull Media House recently made a documentary on the living legend DJ Udyan Sagar popularly known with his stage name Nucleya. The documentary Ride To The Roots is a 30-minute roller coaster ride that introduces the fans to Nucleya’s less known fact. It brings out the untold stories of Nucleya as a man and as a musician.
We at Radioandmusic had a little Q and A session with this legend who has never given up on his dream and has taught us the lesson that anything is possible if you just strive for it. Excerpts.
The documentary shows some old pictures and videos from your gallery. How nostalgic were you when you walked down the memory lane?
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It was great to be able to actually revisit all those early days with the perspective that I have now. I always believed that music was my calling and now that we’ve had some measure of success it makes me feel good that I never gave up and kept pushing until I achieved my goals. I would say it made me even more determined for the future than nostalgic about the past.
Was the documentary compelling? How open were you to getting documented?
I had worked with the director (Misha Ghose) of the documentary before on The Dewarists and Sound Tripping. So, I was very comfortable having her around and opening up to her. She already knows most of my struggle, so it was just a matter of telling that story through the visual medium. I’m pretty comfortable around the camera now.
Nucleya on tour in Ahmedabad
Do you think ‘now’ was the right time to get documented?
Is there ever really a right time to get documented? The Rolling Stones had documentaries come out about them in the 80’s and 90’s and they are still going strong 30 years later. I had already put 15 years into my career as an artist before Nucleya started to get noticed over the last five years. Those 15 years of struggle are what the documentary primarily focuses on and that is the much lesser known part of my career.
From a young aspiring artist to the well-known DJ, how have you evolved as an Independent artist?
There were times when I could barely make the rent. So, I’ve seen lots of ups and downs. I’ve seen the scale, from people not knowing me to running after me. I was shattered when my friend Mayur left and we couldn’t take forward Bandish Projekt. But I didn’t give up on my dream; I stood up and decided to move on.
How does it feel to be called ‘India’s biggest electronic music phenomenon’?
It feels extremely humbling. I worked towards this for so long that to be able to actually stop for a moment and look back and see the journey has been amazing. Every step of the way and with every turn we always tried to do something different, be it the music we were releasing, launching at Ganpati or NSCI Stadium or releasing a t-shirt that says “F**** T*** S***”, I think it’s all gradually added up to where we are today.
Nucleya performs during the Red Bull Tour Bus Off The Roof 2016 in Mumbai, India, on October 16, 2016
Who were the people behind ‘Nucleya’?
My long term manager Tej Brar has definitely been instrumental in all my career decisions so far. The agreement we have is that I make the music and play the shows, and he literally worries about everything else, from management to bookings to marketing, publicity etc. Also, Rahul Sinha and Vijay Nair at OML who have been incredible to work with over the last few years.
How important was Bandish Projekt in the entire journey?
Without Bandish Projekt there is no Nucleya. That is where I learnt to produce and to be a musician, the majority of which Mayur taught me. I learnt how to tour as well and what it means to be on the road. It was an invaluable experience.
Nucleya performs during the Red Bull Tour Bus Off The Roof 2016 in Mumbai, India, on October 16, 2016
The documentary also shows the love of your life, your wife. How did she help you in this journey?
She has been my unwavering support over the years. When Bandish Projekt broke up and it was a really tough time for me, she worked while I made music and tried to find my new sound, which ultimately became Nucleya. Without Smriti’s (Choudhary) support Nucleya would never have been possible. She is also the one to have designed the entire visual identity of Nucleya.
