“What will you do if you get Rs.100?”. This was the thought provoking question on a radio programme marking the birth anniversary of the late Kishore Kumar.No wonder,

I can’t help reminiscence about my stint at the Yuva Vani, All India Radio. Those days, in the 80s we had to write a script and submit it at the Duty Office after you hosted a show. Most of us disliked the idea. We thought we’d sound natural and better extempore. One reason may be, it was fashionable or natural, even then, for youngsters to get annoyed with authority and regimentation. Today with the mushrooming of a whole lot of radio stations, I realize not every one sounds great extempore on a public show. It is really the least entertaining to listen to inexperienced voices (wonder how much training they’re put through, if at all) apparently lacking in knowledge of the show they are putting up. Just after a “madhuban khushboo detha hai” by Yesudas, the “RJ” confidently extols, “that was the hugely talented Kishore kumar….” Seldom is there an apology or correction for it wasn’t a slip of the tongue but simply a zero in the home work department.

Some of these radio stations would do well to give at least the programmes based on the legends like Guru Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, Md.Rafi,Mukesh…to an interested  and knowledgeable anchor.He or she must have or must be given the necessary inputs.

One afternoon, unable to pardon the faux pa s galore and the intermittent nonsense for banter, I simply switched off in disgust  on a Md.Rafi Special. Later in the day, when I had to wait for a friend, my driver switched on the radio in the car, for my listening pleasure and disappeared from the scene. Just as the Rafi song got over came a baritone voice, announcing the credits, a suitable couplet rendered flawlessly before an immortal melody! What a change, indeed! How well the voice and the script gelled with the programme ! And when he went on… “yeh vividh bharathy hai..” I remembered the training sessions at AIR where the senior announcers reminded you of the pride and responsibility that you must carry in your voice, when you open the Station.Is there any one who has listened to him once, forgotten Melville De Mello? In fact, it was a past time for us trainees watching the senior announcers of Urdu section go over the script several times till they get the intonation right. When I had to read out announcements in English  for a series of Classical  Music concerts on Hyderabad A, the Sr.Mr. Godhkindi (the renowned flautist) saw to it that I got “Umayalpuram” and  “Khan” perfect.
Well ..Vivid Bharathi is still Vivid Bharathi, the auditioned announcers (not RJs ) with the well researched and edited scripts. Now (after hearing the informal experiments ), it seems refreshingly different. Sensible, soothing . And when it comes to Hindi, correct, pure and at times, almost lyrical.This is now my idea of entertainment, if it’s radio. Tune into Chaya Geet tonight at 10. Who knows, you may join the club!