MUSIC · EVENT · BOAT

Iconic 2000s Boat Party.

DJ PRASHANT · HOLLYWOOD × BOLLYWOOD · ON THE HIYU · PHOTOS BY HANA

FOR: DJ Prashant and the Hiyu, a floating event venue in Seattle
WHAT I DID: Event photos of the crowd, the DJ and the decks, shot for social
RESULT: The Hiyu posted my photos; the post passed 12.5K views

Iconic 2000s Boat Party on the Hiyu, Seattle event photography

THE EVENT

Four hours on the water with a Y2K dress code. Boarding was at 7 and the boat sailed at 8. There were three rooms: Prashant outside playing Bollywood, Punjabi and 2000s club hits, EDM in the Salish room, and reggaeton in Pau Hana. The music went from Lil Jon to Sunidhi Chauhan.

The Hiyu, a former state ferry that's now an event venue on Lake Union, posted my photos from the night on its own feed. That meant a lot to me. The night was hosted by DJ Prashant, owner of @jaiho.seattle →, who runs Indian and Indian American nightlife events around the city.

GO DEEPER

THE HIYU

The Hiyu is a former Seattle ferry that got a million-dollar renovation and became a floating venue, with two open decks and two bar lounges. It sails Lake Union, Lake Washington and Puget Sound, boarding at MOHAI off Terry Ave N.

THE DJ

DJ Prashant (Prashant Kakad) grew up in Mumbai and came to the U.S. for grad school, then left an engineering job at Intel to start Bollywood Dreams Entertainment. He sings, MCs, choreographs and DJs, mixing Hollywood and Bollywood.

THE CULTURE

The theme was Y2K through a Desi lens. The 2000s club hits and the Bollywood hits came from the same decade, so people raised on both dressed like it was 2003 and danced to Punjabi music with the skyline behind them.

MY ROLE

I photographed the night: the crowd, the DJ and the decks. I worked with the Hiyu's team and DJ Prashant on the social side, so I shot with posting in mind. The event can keep using the photos for promotion.

THE FRAMES · 14 · PHOTOS BY HANA