‘If you don’t dance to Earth, Wind and Fire, there’s something wrong with you’: Himesh Patel’s honest playlist

‘If you don’t dance to September by Earth, Wind & Fire, there’s something wrong with you’ … Himesh Patel. Photograph: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for BFI

The first single I bought
Before I became an indie kid and got into Arctic Monkeys, Maxïmo Park and Bloc Party, there was this explosion of British/south Asian music in the early 00s, so I bought Dance With You (Nachna Tere Naal) by Rishi Rich Project featuring Jay Sean and Juggy D from Tesco Extra. It felt like a moment for south Asians in the UK.

The first song I fell in love with
I grew up in a village in Cambridge and we’d always have BBC Asian Network or CDs of the latest Bollywood soundtracks playing. I loved Taal Se Taal Mila from the movie Taal; AR Rahman did the soundtrack, who went on to win an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire. Taal means rhythm – the film is a musical and it encouraged me to learn the tabla. I only saw the movie once, but the visuals of the songs have stayed with me.