Doctor Drummer Pranav Khanna
Dental Surgeon by day. Drummer by calling. 800+ shows and counting.
There is a certain kind of musician who arrives at music not through institutional pathways or inherited tradition, but through something more stubborn- a refusal to keep passion in a separate compartment from professional life. Pranav Khanna is a practising Dental Surgeon based in New Delhi, and he has spent the better part of a decade proving that the operating chair and the drum kit are not, in fact, incompatible. The name on stage says it all: Doctor Drummer Pranav.
His entry into the commercial music scene came in 2016, as a self-taught drummer driven by curiosity and a willingness to put in the hours. Self-teaching at the drums demands a particular discipline. There is no syllabus, no deadline, no external accountability. What it produces, when it works, is a player shaped entirely by listening and repetition, with an instinct for groove that formal training can sometimes iron out. Pranav later deepened his craft under Joe Jacob, a drummer of considerable standing in the indie music world and a key collaborator of acclaimed artist Raghu Dixit. A mentorship that sharpened what the self-taught years had built.
What followed was not gradual. By 2019 alone, he had played 12 gigs in a single year. A pace that signals not just enthusiasm but professional reliability, the quality that keeps session musicians in demand. Over the past decade, Pranav has performed at more than 800 shows across India and internationally, a number that puts him in a very specific category of working musician: not the headline name, but the indispensable one. His 2025 tour of Thailand across five shows extended that international footprint further. He began his career as a founding member of Delhi band Taqdeer in 2016, staying with them through 2023, before transitioning to session work with over ten to twelve artists across the Delhi NCR circuit. He currently performs regularly with Jazmine Kaur, an association he describes with visible enthusiasm.
Gappu approached Pranav through social media in 2023, and the fit has been straightforward. He plays the TILT Cajon and Taal Octa Snare, and his verdict on the TILT is the kind of thing that carries genuine weight coming from someone who has logged 800 shows: he has played it through 3.5-hour gigs without a second thought, and considers it among the best cajons he has ever played. Tone, ergonomics, endurance, the things that matter when the set is long and the stage demands everything.
His tagline, "crafting smiles, creating grooves," holds a double meaning that is entirely his own. It is the kind of line only a dentist-drummer could write, and the kind of life only a certain kind of person would choose to live.
At a Glance
- Dental Surgeon and professional drummer based in New Delhi
- 800+ live performances across India and internationally
- 5-show international tour in Thailand (2025)
- Trained under Joe Jacob, drummer for acclaimed indie artist Raghu Dixit
- Founding member of Delhi band Taqdeer (2016–2023); currently performing with Jazmine Kaur
- Active session musician across 10–12 artists in the Delhi NCR circuit
- Gappu Army Artist and Creator: TILT Cajon, Taal Octa Snare (endorsed since 2023)
Watch and Learn
Featured Gear
Tilt Cajon
The Tilt is the Pro Cajon, elevated. Built for professional players who refuse to let their instrument hold them back, it combines the 60-degree ergonomic playing surface with premium sound calibration for the most demanding performance environments. Less strain. More stage. No compromise.
Tilt Cajon
The Tilt is the Pro Cajon, elevated. Built for professional players who refuse to let their instrument hold them back, it combines the 60-degree ergonomic playing surface with premium sound calibration for the most demanding performance environments. Less strain. More stage. No compromise.
#1 Bestseller
Taal Octa Snare | Gappu – 8-Faced Portable Cajon with Dual Tones
The Taal Octa Snare isn't just a travel cajon, it's a conversation. Its distinctive 8-faced form creates two separate playing surfaces, each tuned to a distinct tonal character. Louder than anything in its size class, the Taal Octa Snare is built for outdoor performers who refuse to compromise.
Taal Octa Snare | Gappu – 8-Faced Portable Cajon with Dual Tones
The Taal Octa Snare isn't just a travel cajon, it's a conversation. Its distinctive 8-faced form creates two separate playing surfaces, each tuned to a distinct tonal character. Louder than anything in its size class, the Taal Octa Snare is built for outdoor performers who refuse to compromise.
