MUMBAI: Curtains were raised as Rahul Dravid bared himself to an exclusive event hosted by BBCs India Editor Sanjeev Srivastava, which will be aired on BBC Ek Mulaqat. This interview with Jam and Wall (nicknames given to him by his friends) is a one off on a series of interviews being aired on Radio One FM 94.3 called BBC Ek Mulaqat, which are vivid retelling of behind-the-scenes stories of Indias rich and famous, interspersed with the guests favourite songs.Named as the most innovative show at the excellence in radio awards held at the India Radio Forum, this show which is aired at 12 noon every Sunday in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore has seen conversations between Srivastava and luminaries from diverse fields like sports, politics, entertainment and business, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Hema Malini, Deepika Padukone, Preity Zinta, Sheila Dikshit, Irfan Pathan, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Javed Akhtar, Ghulam Ali, Kapil Dev, Baba Ramdev, Sharad Pawar, Amar Singh and the likes.

This was Radio Ones first ever of BBC Ek Mulaqat with an invited audience. Radio One CEO, Vineet Singh Hukmani felt, Our partnership with BBC has set the tone for a show with class and stature which no other radio station in the country has. Srivastava added, There is a story behind every piece of news. On BBC Ek Mulaqat we try to bring out the real personality of newsmakers as they open up and reveal their other, less public side on the show.

Radio One also selected two lucky listeners who were chosen from amongst a hundred few who participated in the BBC Ek Mulaqat Rahul ke saath contest, where they had to answer a question on why they should be the ones who should be selected to meet Rahul Dravid in person over lunch. The girls went all out in pleasing the man with one of them even coming all the way from Chandigarh and taking up a job placement in Bangalore so she could stand a chance to meet the handsome and savvy cricketer and Bangalorean, Rahul Dravid.

It was a pleasant sight to spot the man in flesh and blood with not a bit of air after winning such laudable laurels. There isnt a bowler worth his salt, who hasnt spent atleast one sleepless night worrying about how to penetrate The Wall. This Indian batsman has taken over 9000 runs in tests and over 10,000 runs in ODIs. How Rahul holds up on another sticky wicket off the field is one question, but how he keeps his poise in any condition is another. Rahul added that with time and experience he has changed from a shy and introvert person to a more confident person with a broader perspective to life. Commenting on how he handled all the girl fans, Rahul replied, Its a part and parcel of being a cricketer. We have a fishbowl existence. Celebrity status comes with its own set of challenges and joys. It was so nice to see the light in so many eyes in India after our recent victory over Australia. Its a big responsibility. After Sanjeev Srivastava, a man with 25 years of journalistic experience left us; it was time for flashlights to dawn.