From discovering Kumar Sanu’s double chin issue to having Shaan sing for him, Sony Mix’s nostalgic show ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ is giving RJ Anmol all the reasons to smile. It is not like Anmol has not met these B-town biggies before, but this time the platform is different.  So, while he is making new discoveries about celebrities, he is also learning more about the medium.

In conversation with Radioandmusic.com the RJ talks about his musical journey with ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’.

Excerpts:

You have graduated from being a voice to becoming the face of Sony Mix’s ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’.

Yes, it has been two years since I moved from radio. I was working on sports for a year and a half, where I interviewed sports personalities. Soon after that ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ came along.  This is my first TV appearance where I interview celebrities related to films.

How different is it being on TV in comparison to radio?

It is little more difficult, for you have to look good all the time. When you are on radio, physical attributes do not really contribute to the show. Your voice does the job. TV adds a separate layer to me and my personality. I never thought about my sitting posture even when I interviewed personalities like Ravi Shastri. But, when I had to interview Raveena Tandon on ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ I had a 15 minute discussion on what my body language would be like with the team. Now, those are the kind of details you need to work on while on TV.

What makes ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ different from other talk shows?

The name of the show ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ is just apt. It describes the entire show. If you watched any of the episodes, you will see that it does not come across as an interview. It comes across as two people chatting. I come across as a fan of that artist who is inquisitive about stories about the artist that have appeared over the years.  With ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ you find out things that you have probably never heard before, making it a unique show.

Do these chats lead to interesting discoveries?

Yes, many times. All my life I had believed that Kumar Sanu’s career graph had taken a different turn, because he had throat cancer, but that turned out to be untrue on this show.

Do the celebrities open up easily or do you have a trick?

I have met them before and there is mutual respect. Apart from that they have heard me on my show hence, they open up more and talk about their lives. In fact, about 10 minutes into an interview, both the celebrity and I forget that there are cameras around us. We barely have a cut in between the shoot.  

What is your favourite part of the show?

‘Anmol’s pic of the day’ is my favourite. That was not a planned section; the idea came up one day while we were sitting around. In this segment we show the celebrity a picture – it could be a little naughty or funny - and that brings a smile on their face. Like I was shooting with Shaan and I showed him a picture from the past in which he is half nude with a ‘lota’ in his hand. He simply burst out laughing. Similarly during Kumar Sanu’s interview I got a collage of his pictures that had him in the same pose. There is this pose with his hand on his chin that he strikes everywhere. He started laughing after looking at the picture and told me that he has major double chin problem, which is why he puts his hand on his chin to hide it. For someone like me who has interviewed Kumar Sanu five times before, it was an achievement to discover something new. 

What do the celebrities featuring on this show take from it at the end of the day?

Beautiful memories in an hour long package I believe. All the artists that I have interviewed on ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ have made it a point to ask for the show’s DVD. These celebrities have been interviewed so many interviews before, but they choose to take this one back home, which means they definitely liked something about this. 

Do you miss radio?

I have a lot of respect for radio, as it has always been close to my heart.  Moreover I have never believed that radio is one step up or down from TV. Whether it is radio, television or films, they are all different mediums, and they have their own charm. There is a reason why I am not on radio, but there will be a bigger reason for me to go back to radio. 

Are there any reality shows in the pipeline?

I was offered a reality show some time ago, but I do not think that I am reality show material. I will be a boring guy on a reality show. If I dance, it will be a disaster and being in a house, for so many days is just unimaginable for me. I find it difficult to stay in my own house for too long.