Gaano ka Lokpal is in the house

In a unique effort, listeners will now decide if they want to kick a song off air

It’s a unique initiative. I don’t mind Fever104 FM going ahead with the choice of people Sajid, music composer of Fevicol Se, on his song being voted out

Don’t like a song on radio because it has demeaning lyrics? Now you can take it off air! Fever 104 FM has announced the launch of what is being termed the biggest music bill in the history of India radio, Gaano Ka Lokpal. Now the listeners have the power to choose the songs that will play on the radio station, and if they don’t like a particular song that is playing on the station, they just need to sms <fever> and the song name to 54242.

It all started around two weeks back, when a listener called up Fever 104 FM’s Rjs Mannu and Suhas who host the show, Dilli Ke Do Dabangg, asking them to not play the popular Kareena Kapoor song ‘Fevicol Se’ from Dabangg 2 because of derogatory lyrics.

The station thus decided to give its listeners the power to decide the fate of the song and voice their opinion via phone/sms/facebook. As it turned out, thousands of listeners voted Fevicol Se out of the play list, as they thought it demeans women. The song has thus been taken off the station’s list of songs, forever.

The song’s music composer Sajid of the Sajid-Wajid duo, however, doesn’t mind this move. “It’s a unique initiative and a very different kind of take on lyrics of songs. If it’s my song that is being voted out this time, then I don’t mind Fever 104 FM going ahead with the choice of people. After all it is they who decide a song’s fate,” says Sajid. Renowned lyricist Sameer too says, “This is a very good initiative by Fever 104. The listeners have the final verdict and there’s nothing like asking the them to decide what they want to hear.”

Gaano ka Lokpal comes into force on March 11 onwards.