RJ Vidhi Maheshwari has been associated with the radio industry for the past four years. she joined 92.7 Big FM in May 2010 and since then she has been ruling the hearts of millions every morning on her breakfast show ‘Dilli Ki Metro’ daily from 7-11am. With her musical voice and tinkling laughter, RJ Vidhi shares her experiences, passion and struggle on Why and How did she choose RJing as a career, with Radioandmusic.com’s Poonam Ahuja.
Tell us about your background?
I am journalism graduate from the prestigious Delhi University and passionate about reading, listening to music and going on long drives. My passion for music and ability to talk with people smoothly bought me into this industry.
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How did you break-in the radio industry?
I participated in RJ hunt organized by one of the private Radio Station in the city and made it to the final five out of 12000 participants, I knew then, this is some thing I could really be good at. I started applying to different Radio stations for an internship and as luck would have it, got a call from a Radio station and they gave me a job. So before I could finish the last semester of last year in journalism, I had a job in hand from a Radio station in Jaipur.
I moved to Jaipur right after college, where I stayed for about a year and a half, later moving to Delhi where I joined a Radio station. Breaking in Radio is not as hard as it looks, you just have to learn, un-learn and re-learn all times and that’s the only way to grow.
Why did you choose Radio Jockey as a career?
I was an avid listener of Radio even before private Radio entered in Delhi. As soon as I would come back from school I would tune in to the show called Just For Kicks. I would wait for the late night show called Live Wire and never miss it. When private Radio started in Delhi I was in college and somehow knew that I had to be inside a studio and be the jock. It was a dream, which became my passion and now, is a reality.
What does one require to be an RJ?
According to me Radio jockeying is probably the only profession where your degree doesn’t matter. There are people who’ve studied chemical engineering or Law and are now top radio jockeys. The only few requirements for being a Radio Jockey are : the ability to talk with confidence and not just gibberish but something that makes sense to your listener.
Tell us about your show Dilli Ki Metro?
It’s a naughty show. Big FM’s Dilli Ki Metro helps the listener break away from tensions and stress of the world and fantasies about things / moments that make them happy. We have segments like Imagine Karna: where a listener is sent to a world where he can imagine the wildest of things, also a segment like Khul ke Bol: which provides a platform to the listener to vent out his anger, frustration on anything/anybody . Dilli ki Metro is all about Delhi and Dilli wallas.
USP of your show?
Dilli ki Metro captures the essence of Dilli by providing listeners with their daily dose of humor and music. Through this show, we present the Dilliwallahs with an exclusive and exceptional way to start each day with a smile
The USP of the 7-11am show is that it endeavors to provide stress-free mornings to its listeners. Apart from music, Bollywood and entertainment, which is an integral part of the morning show, listeners also get live traffic and stock market updates. Listeners feel rejuvenated before a tough day ahead with peppy songs and popular segments in the show like Imagine Karna and Khul ke Bol. All this not only promises an overall utilitarian experience to the listeners but also gives them a break from day-to-day stress and tensions.
What are the different roles that you play while doing the show and how important is it to keep the listeners entertained?
I share the latest Bollywood gossips with my listeners and keep them updated on what’s happening in their favorite star’s life. To keep listeners constantly entertained and engaged in the show, we have segments like Imagine Karna, where a listener is sent to a world where he can imagine the wildest of things. Another segment called Khul ke Bol has been a hit with the listeners. In this segment we provide listeners with a platform to vent out their anger or frustration on anything / anybody.
What kind of music do you play? who are your target audience?
I play contemporary music for a target audience of 25+.
What’s your view on being the one which connects with complete strangers who listen to your shows?
You know the faceless voice works in both the ways for a radio jockey. The listener and the jock both create a theatre of mind for each other. But the fact that someone can like and call you up everyday just to say Big morning to you, because he loves your voice is a feeling which cannot be expressed in words. To be able to touch listeners’ heart only with your voice is an amazing feeling.
Your advice to those interested in following your footsteps?
If you’re really interested to be a part of the Radio industry and if you think that this is where you belong, be sure to know that it’s not as easy as it looks from outside. This is not a nine-to-five job, infact we do not have shifts. This is a business of entertainment and we take it very seriously. Our listener is our god and we have to do anything possible to keep them happy.
It’s a tough job but as long as you love what you do, you can never get tired. And also, don’t join a course, it can’t teach you how to talk. Get hands-on experience. Get an internship and things will grow from there.
What’s next on the anvil? Anything apart from radio?
I have not thought about it yet. I love what I am doing now.
