If movies are the yardstick by which we judge what the flavour of the season is, then it looks as if radio jockeys (RJ) top the current list of hot professions.
Take Ivar Vivahitharayal , in which the lead actress played an RJ. Movies such as Red Chillies , Traffic, Sound Thoma, Payyans, and Samsaram Arogyathinu Hanikaram had supporting actors play RJs too. Right now in theatres, there is Bangalore Days in which actress Parvathi dons the role of a ‘morning’ RJ.
With more and more movies featuring radio jockeys and with thousands of people applying when radio stations call in for applications, it looks like radio jockeying is making waves and the men and women behind the microphone are no longer just bringing the station closer to its listeners, but are courting fame just like any celebrity.
Filmmaker Saji Surendran was one of the first to feature an RJ in a movie. The movie, Ivar Vivahitharayal, which was released during the FM boom, was a hit.
When asked why he placed his female lead in the role of a radio jockey, Saji says: “As my female lead was a woman who knew her mind and was a bit of a chatterbox, I felt her character was best suited for that profession. Besides, not many then knew what the job of an RJ entailed. As for why quite a few movies these days are featuring RJs, I think it’s because people consider it a ‘cool’ profession.”
Actor Sreenath Bhasi who started off as an RJ before he branched off into acting feels the power the microphone wields could be why filmmakers and the youth are fascinated by the profession.
“The radio is a rather powerful medium as it can take news and make it relevant to the listener’s life, through the perspectives and opinions of the common man,” says Sreenath, who played the role of a radio anchor in the movies Da Thadiya and North 24 Kaatham .
The fact that today’s RJs have changed and evolved from the days of Ameen Sayani [iconic All India Radio announcer], has helped too with Gen Now anchors talking, sharing and emoting. Not only do they know their music, they are in tune with the latest happenings; in short they are a jack of all trades.
Says RJ TJ: “Our shows are more or less an extension of our personality. The fact that the listener feels the anchor is talking to him/her and not a whole city assists in developing a one-to-one connect with the audience.”
RJ Laavanya thinks it’s the anonymity which has captivated the imagination of listeners and movie makers alike.
And while the hosts have yet to be mobbed by fans, Parvathy Nair, Programming Head, Red FM says: “I started out as an anchor on television before shifting to radio. I have had people recognising me not from my stint on television but from my voice when I talk to friends and family at shops and restaurants. I have noticed how surprised people are when they meet the RJs face-to-face. That’s because listeners often create contrasting images of the RJ in their minds.”
Social media has had an impact on radio, increasing awareness and visibility of a radio show and its host at a click of a button.
“Like celebrities, we are put up on a pedestal for everyone to see, both making our impact much broader and our missteps far more consequential. Unlike how we are portrayed in most movies featuring RJs, we don’t shoot off our mouths and very few of us lead a Page 3 life. We follow a strict decorum on sets and on our fan page too,” says RJ Sweet Ancy.
While it could be the celebrity status of RJs which draws the youth to the profession; the attractive pay packet helps too, say the RJs. And with stations incorporating news bulletins in to their programmes shortly and with more FM stations coming into the picture, it is the person with the microphone who is going to call the shots.
