MUMBAI: Music comes to our rescue while we are stuck in traffic snarls. While many use personalised playlists, there are many more who listen to radio and have favourites for Radio Jockeys too. One such immensely popular Music Jockey is MJ Shruti of 92.7 Big FM, also known as Pat Pat Pataki Shruti. The fact the people would not just listen to her Rj-ing but also her friendly advice to follow traffic rule, made her an obvious choice for brand ambassador of Traffic Police in the city, by R.Hithendra, Additional Commissioner of Police - Traffic, Bengaluru City on honorary basis. 

It is the first time an RJ has been appointed as an ambassador and what makes it even more special are the predecessor of this honour, legendary cricketer Rahul Dravid and famous actor Sudeep.

“I feel so honoured to be chosen after stalwarts like Rahul Dravid and actor Sudeep,” says the MJ who hosts a show Big Coffee, a breakfast show. She is known to insist her listeners to follow traffic rules to the T. Bengaluru as a city is infamous for its terrible traffic and to manage that is no mean feat.

Shruti learnt some really disturbing facts during her research, “The city can accommodate only 50 lakh cars at the moment, but we have more than 75 lakh cars. There is an excess of 25 lakh cars, and it’s still adding on. This certainly is worrisome. And then people are complaining about traffic. But these things are in our hands.”

As a part of her initiatives, Shruti has started a unique show called Traffic Tuesdays. “One representative from the Traffic Police is on air to answer all the queries that the junta has. It helps them bust common myths and understand their common mistake. I went under trainee program, and would like to be more active, but radio is time-consuming”

Radio is not only a medium for music but it has been the oldest medium for awareness too. Shruthi believes that BIG FM has always stood up for what’s correct. “Audience usually calls up to complain and crib, but BIG FM stands by their tagline “Life Banao”. It usually advises people to make their own life and stop the blame game.”

When asked Shruti, what kind of songs she would play if she was stuck in traffic, here are her top Five:

·        Bhale Bhale sung by Dr S P Balasubrahmanyam from the movie Amritvarshini

·        Any of the songs pictured on superstar Dr Rajkumar, but Naa Ninna Mareyalaare would be my favourite

·       Neera Bittu

·        Aate Jate-Maine Pyar Kiya

·        Oh Oh Jane Ja-Pyar Kiya Toh Darna

BIG FM, in Bengaluru, as a radio channel is the only bi-lingual channel and is a retro genre focused. “Retro means anything before 2000. Nowadays, anyway there are hardly any good songs, most are remixes and recreations. And most of them don’t do a justice to the original.”

We need such young ambassadors and icons in every city to spread awareness about traffic hygiene.