Becoming a radio jockey wasn’t a cakewalk
It’s a world of voices where words, sounds and music create an infinite number of images in human mind. I was fascinated by the radio jockey’s job when I got admission in masters in journalism and mass communication in 2003. Talking in a stylish manner like a radio jockey (RJ) had become my habit during those days. My parents, friends and classmates were all impressed with my way of speaking like a RJ.
Luckily, my dreams got the wings when All India Radio (AIR), Jalandhar, launched its FM radio and announced to conduct an audition for RJs. I was quite sure about my selection. But my dreams were shattered soon. I didn’t find my name in the list of selected candidates. I went straight to the producer-director and asked him why I was not chosen. “You speak like a news reader. You don’t use entertaining language. Listeners will never enjoy a programme presented by you. We will consider you again if you can improve yourself,” he replied.
Back home, I looked at myself in the mirror, took a deep breath and started speaking in an entertaining and conversational style. After a week’s practice, I felt I was fit for audition again. The very next day, I was at the AIR station and went through another audition. The same producer-director smiled at me and said, “Not Bad. You have improved a lot, but you lack the style to create a bonding with the audience.”
Style – that word echoed in my ears after my second illusion of being one of the most stylist girls around was broken. Nevertheless, my ambition to become an RJ made me work harder to improve my style. I studied a number of books on how to become a good RJ and learnt a lot to bring style in my conversation to keep the audience spell-bound. I went to the radio station again, quite confident that they would have no reason to reject me this time. As soon as the audition was over I rushed to the producer and asked, “Sir, when will I get my first programme? I think now I am all set to air my voice”.
This was the time when my third illusion of having a grip on language vanished. In a serious tone, he said, “I am sorry. Your pronunciation is very poor. You don’t know how to pronounce a number of words.” He was right. I didn’t know how to pronounce many Punjabi words. Then I started listening to Punjabi radio and TV programmes to improve my pronunciation. After a while, I was at the AIR station again. This time the producer shouted at me, “You don’t have another work. You come here daily to waste our time.” Swallowing my pride, I pleaded with him to give me another chance. He gave me one. As I ended my audition, he said, “Now everything is fine, but your script is not up to the mark.”
I went back and read a lot of new and interesting things. I read newspapers, magazines, talked to experts and wrote an absorbing script. Finally, the producer relented and gave me a chance to present one programme with a rider, “If listeners will enjoy your programme, you will get more programmes. Otherwise, never come again.”
On January 10, 2004, I presented my first programme on AIR, Jalandhar, as an RJ. I was feeling on the top of the world. With the grace of the God, it all went fine and, thereafter, I presented more than 45 programmes.
With such an experience, I now prepare my students to have a command on language, pronunciation, besides developing the skills of visualisation and script-writing. Moreover, it also taught me a lesson that one should never give up in life.
I WAS QUITE SURE ABOUT MY SELECTION, BUT MY DREAMS WERE SHATTERED AS I DIDN’T FIND MY NAME AMONG SELECTED CANDIDATES
(The writer teaches journalism at Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib)