While the pandemic has pushed people from across the globe to go above and beyond their call of duty, this doctor turned DJ decided to hang his headphones and grab his stethoscope to join the frontline warriors. 

Sanjay Meriya a.k.a The Spindoctor has left an impact on India’s EDM circuit with his love for hip-hop and his killer tracks. This 30-year-old turntablist has a major standing in India’s Gully Gang and has played alongside legends like Tyga. 

Sanjay Meriya was slogging to become a doctor when he ventured into the eccentric world of music to keep his creative side alive. But what started as a hobby to keep himself sane through medical school, evolved into his passion.  

With parents who didn’t approve of his choices(and still don’t), it took a lot for Sanjay Meriya to trade his freshly bloomed, 2-year-old career as a physician to follow his passion as a full-time DJ.

But as soon as The Spindoctor realised that the pandemic was spreading like wildfire in our country and the frontline workers needed all hands on deck, he temporarily hung his headphones and jumped into his scrubs to serve humanity with his medical experience. 

If it wasn’t for the pandemic, The Spindoctor would be on his US tour and basking in the glory of his 2020 releases. But now he has enrolled himself as a medical volunteer for a minimum of three months.

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With an aim to contain the virus while treating the infected patients, Mr. Meriya has been visiting slums, spreading awareness and carrying out tests. We at ScoopWhoop asked him how he mustered up the courage to put his passion on the backseat and relive the life he once dreaded, to which he said: 

Somethings are just bigger than you and I. This is not about me, it is about my nation and it needs me. I am going for a battle every single day and trying to conquer it one day at a time.
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But working on field, in the peak of summer, armoured with protective gear and unable to eat or drink for a minimum of 6 hours wasn’t as easy. He told us that there have been instances where he’s fainted:

So once, it was quite hot and I was wearing the protective gear.  It had been over three hours since I hydrated myself and I just passed out. I had a blackout and the next thing I remember was waking up next to an I.V needle hung to my forearm. 

Though his team of doctors still have no idea about his fame or talents yet, Dr. Sanjay chooses to keep his hip-hop turntablist life under wraps. In an up-close and personal interview, he mentioned the reason: 

People are judgy a*sh*les. They’d probably not take me or my work as seriously if they knew. 

While trolls and haters deem his efforts to serve humanity as a ‘publicity stunt’, it really doesn’t stop The Spindoctor from carrying out his selfless duty. 

In fact, after tirelessly working, Dr. Meriya still unloads his stress by composing and curating more tracks. It literally feels like he’s the male, desi version of  Hannah Montana, juggling, acing, and getting the best of both worlds. 

We salute this frontline worker for putting his passion on the backseat and selflessly prioritising our society’s needs over his own.