Retro music could be the flavour of the season, but Radio City was one of the pioneers in the space to identify the demand for music of the bygone eras. It's show Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi started seven years ago and shows no signs of slowing down. Nor does its exuberant host Gaurav who has been with the show right since inception. As the show gets ready to celebrate its anniversary with a live show in Mumbai, Radioandmusic.com caught up with Gaurav to know more about Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi.

Excerpts-

Can you tell us more about 'Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi – LIVE'?

Retro as a genre is evergreen and makes people groove to its tunes even today. The most popular show since past seven years, Radio City's Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi takes you on a nostalgic ride with golden melodies and moments of the yesteryear stars and has been well received by the listeners.

The concert Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi – LIVE celebrates the delightful golden moments of the glorious history of Indian cinema time when melody was the queen and lyrics were the king and brings together an entourage of musicians to recreate the retro magic similarly to what legendary music directors and singers would do on stage.

Was there any particular reason for selecting the artistes chosen for the concert?

All the singers performing at the concert are well known talents in their own genre and circuit. The singers are a power house of talent and have been performing for years nationally as well as internationally. Performing with them is indeed an honour and we will together create some magic at the concert.

How do you differentiate your show from other retro shows?

Radio City is a pioneer to enter the retro space with Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi and I have been associated with this show for the last seven years and have enjoyed being a part of this journey. The differentiator for my show lies in its simplicity combined with great music. The show focuses on evoking feelings of nostalgia amongst listeners through not just playing music, but also by sharing many inside-stories and never heard before anecdotes , related to the evergreen stars and yesteryears' movies.

What kind of research goes into creating content for a show that has been around for seven years?

To me it’s not just a show, it’s my love and passion for the golden era that I live every day and share with the listeners who are of the same mind.The content, from the type of music and the stories that would go along with the songs, requires extensive research and understanding. Before I reach out to celebrities for interviews I go through their profile and background end-to-end and basis that come up with insightful questions that would also be of interest to the listeners. Overall, my job includes research, creating promos, reaching out to celebrities for interactions.

Do you promote your show online? What strategy is followed for it?

In today’s day and time, you need to present across Social media platforms.. Social Media has enabled the platform for us to reach out to our listeners directly and build a personal connection. From sharing the latest upcoming tits and bits of the content of the show, to broadcasting it LIVE on our web radio station, Planetradiocity.com. I think social media has completely changed the dynamics of promotions these days but somewhere I still feel that the connection that the RJ has with his listeners on-air is far stronger and more personal. At the end of the day, the permanent address to connect with the RJ has to be the frequency of the station.

What feedback has Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi received over the years? Would you like to mention the best ones?

The response from my listeners and the stars I have interviewed over the years has been amazing, especially the reviews I received for the segment Evergreen Star Mulakat. It’s difficult to point to one particular feedback, but one of the memorable ones that stayed with me would be when the legendary Ameen Sayani praised my voice stating it is better than his. Also the show has been No 1 since the last four years which indeed is a pat on my back.

What are the changes that Kal Bhi Aaj Bhihas been through over the years?

Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi has been consistent in providing something new, something fresh to the listeners. A few years back we launched a 'Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi' Classics and Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi Love Classics - CD in association with SareGama. To celebrate the popularity of the show we are organizing a LIVE concert Radio City’s Kal Bhi Aaj Bhi- LIVE.