RJ Anjana - You can't act on air!
In the 19th century, when the likes of Tesla and Marconi, discovered and invented radio waves and radio, they surely must have foreseen a generation where communication was available to every second man on the road. But did they foresee a generation which makes friends, solves problems, laughs, cries and worries over a bunch of waves? I guess not But what they did foresee was that communication now didn't need too many garbled wires or shipping and cargos. It was just waves making waves. Ok that sounded clich?©!
When I first stepped onto the stage and wielded the mike and stepped down again holding a shining little trophy in hand and the future prospects of an RJ, I thought it was all a joke. Yes I talk, and a double yes for the non stop jabber. But RJing? Now that's not even a word on The Word. But once the �Good day to you, you are listening to beep beep. beep beep fm…' began there was no looking back
From where I started to where I am now in a matter of four years, there has been a lot to learn. RJing in college for a community FM does not give you sweat beads, but hosting your first ever show after just about an hour of being informed and gruel like looking meal, you'd sure be sweating. Ok enough of the scary picture
When I stepped into my college's radio studio, I wasn't scared, panicked or even half worried about what I'd say. I knew I could write down a monologue and read it out to perfection. As I spoke on one end, waves were flowing on the monitor on the other. Then the editing, the touch ups and then the relay... that wasn't difficult, but that's not how REAL show works… well at least not entirely
A commercial FM is much much more serious an affair. Forgive me for the consistent drawing of parallels between my college FM (where I first ever went on air at 5:45 in the morning) to Radio Mirchi (where I am on air by 5 in the evening!) but it's like a clear divider. While at college I had a person monitoring my �scripts', at Mirchi I was responsible for even the smallest syllable uttered. A year and a half in this place and I still double check and triple check what I'd say (inside my head) before I switch on that mike. I once heard from someone that fear makes you work well and I can vouch all the seconds I've spent on air for that!
Where at one end it was sitting face to face with the �guest' on the show, on the other was talking to hundreds and thousands of faceless people who called in everyday, who could be as sensitive, as passionate, as ignorant and as smart as I am. That was the challenge, winning the �listenership'. It is more than just a mere 10 letter word. It's the fuel for my car to run right on track, the aloo on my pav and the pan cake on her face!
Another thing that I learnt from being in a commercial radio station (apart from which I only know community radios run by educational institutions) is that you can't act on air! You really can't! You got a cold? You got a cold! You angry with someone? You angry with someone! Period. Much as you try to sugar coat the anger and push away the �this is not for the listener' thoughts from your head, they find a way out through the oral cavity, a.k.a. the mouth! You can't say �oh I like it!' when you actually don't and so on and so forth
That's real radio, according to me, Radio Mirchi. This place is what it truly what I heard about it. Firstly, for me getting into Radio Mirchi was a three year long wait and the third time sure was lucky for me. Right from my day one in this place, to my very present moment here I am consistently changing, evolving and growing as an RJ and as a media person. Like I said earlier, right from being responsible for my every word uttered here, there is a lot to learn at every step. It's not just about being in the top Radio station and the most spoken about one at that. It's seriously the brand that you carry out with you once you are a part of it
Radio is not just voice. That's what I have learnt here. Its also the connect, without which none of us can survive even otherwise, and that surely is not an easy task. Sorry guys, if you thought radio was just jabber-song-jabber you are miles ahead in the opposite direction. I once remember a kid telling me about his exam the next day and when I said I too had a big day at work the next day he quipped � what are you complaing about? You just have to go and talk. That's not hard!!' wrong there l'il one!
It is quite hard, not in the terms of breaking stones or making up mumbo-jumbo software codes. But at Mirchi, every little thing is seen to perfection because we ought to deliver better than the best! Being a new RJ didn't give me the comfort of �ok you can push this under the carpet �. No way! Mistakes get pulled up not because you are at fault, but because this would be a thing that NEVER happens again.
And here everyone gets to focus on their forte. Mine? Cricket! Ask any listener and they'd know Anjana would kill for cricket, on air or off it! At Mirchi I was given the freedom to happily experiment with mad games, �oh my god' topics and lots more. I guess that is what lets me give back more to the system that has taught me the ABCD of good Radio
After saying all this I'd just say that to me, radio is like pulling up your neighbourhood pal and making him yap with you, then play songs, and then yap again. But hey, this yapping is serious business and even though I have written out 1126 words about radio, I still know very less about it… Each day is learning and each learning a feather on your cap! And as for me, I'd leave to the many pairs of ears to count the ones on mine!
Here's to a generation which from dawn to dusk, silently thanks the Teslas and Marconis for this small Pandora's Box called the Radio and to the hottest one you could ever try to lay your hands on Radio Mirchi!
