What does Nupur Agarwal of Radio Misty have in common with Amitabh Bachchan? Well, just like AIR did with the Big B, Nupur too was initially rejected in her first voice audition by an FM station. But ultimately, the management had a change of heart, and Nupur proved her mettle. Today, the youngster, who’s delighted she’s worked only with the Number One FM stations in the North East, will soon complete three years with Radio Misty, and is awed by the power of radio, which, she says, is an essential part of people’s lives, especially in the smaller towns of India.
I was born and brought up in Guwahati, Assam where private radio channel happened only in 2007. But I was already in love with it and wanted to be a part of it ever since I saw the advertisement of the first ever private FM channel of India on television, when I was a kid. I was so passionate about it that I dropped CA, which I was pursuing then, so that I could peacefully concentrate on RJ-ing. All this wouldn’t have been possible had my parents not been supportive. I still remember I felt like bunking my economics exam just to audition for fm as the dates clashed with my exam, but by God’s grace I didn’t go ahead with the crazy thought!
It was AIR’s Rainbow FM that played a major role in honing my skills as I was a die-hard fan of it and never missed a show. Just by listening to it consistently I learned the key tricks of RJ-ing without actually taking any formal training. In fact, during my high school boards, Rainbow FM turned out to be my best friend!
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My RJ-ing quest started in 2007 right after high school when I got through Radio Ooolala, which happens to be the first FM channel of the North East. I started there with two weekend shows. It was after nine months of working there that I got a call from Radio Misty 94.3 FM which, again, happens to the first and Number One fm station of North Bengal and Sikkim. I think I’m lucky to be working with the number one fm station of Siliguri!
You know what? Initially, they rejected my voice as they found it very â€?kiddish’, as I was told. But later, the management decided to give me a chance to prove my mettle as an RJ, and now here I am, about to complete three years with Radio Misty. I feel like a veteran in the company! By the way, here I do a regular midday show called Baaton Baaton Mein from 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays, and Bindaas Bol on Saturdays. And the best part about the timings is I get to play all genres of Hindi songs and hence have diversity in my song offerings and therefore my listenership.
It was in Radio Misty where I got to learn the A to Z of the Radio Industry and polish my skills to deliver the best of me. Being a very restless person, at times I wonder what’s made me stick to Misty for so long. I guess it’s because at Radio Misty, we’re like one big family – sure, we do have issues with one another, but at the end of the day everybody is caring and basically the hearts are in the right place.
This also extends to our listeners, to whom all of us at Radio Misty are like an extended family with whom they share their secrets without the fear of being misjudged. In fact, we are so connected with our listeners that we even offer them advice and guidance through any difficulty they may be facing in life
I still remember the day when a listener called me and started crying as the girl he loved and whom he had secretly married because her parents opposed the match, had actually been taken away by her parents to their home. The parents, he told me, were trying to pressurize her into divorcing him and marrying someone else. He told me he couldn’t live without her, and requested me to convince her to go back to him. In other words, he wanted her back in his life, and expected me to do some magic!
All I could do, and did, was to request the girl on air to convince her parents to allow her to settle with her secret husband. She happened to be listening, and miraculously, after a week, they were together again! The boy called me again, and told me she had persuaded her parents to meet him. They did, and before long, their love for their daughter’s happiness prevailed, and the couple received their blessings. The boy said, Nupur di, thank you for bringing us together. I will never forget you all my life!… That was a very happy moment for me, and it was then that I realized the power of radio, which had helped me unite two people.
When it comes to a small town, radio indeed is a very powerful medium of entertainment for people leaving in remote areas. For every kind of information — small or big — they depend upon the radio, and therefore it is necessary for an RJ to stay updated. Also, more important, one has to be conscious of and monitor what one says say and how one says it, as it influences people to a great extent. Radio is more like a magic box for them that helps them listen to their favorite tracks and convey their messages to their loved ones. For people out here, we RJs are like next-door friends they can speak with very easily. To us too, our listeners are precious friends.
Finally all I would say is I have a long way to go before I sleep, and for me, RJ-ing a great profession that allows me to combine two passions – music and speaking to entertain people. Now who wouldn’t want a profession where you are paid to speak and listen to music?!
