Bringing a zing to listeners with their morning cup of coffee, popular breakfast show ‘Kasa Kai Mumbai’ on Radio City will complete three years tomorrow. The show hosted by the high-spirited RJ Salil and cheerful RJ Archana, has reached greater heights over the years and still continues to pack in a host of celebrity interviews, gossip, music and the usual friendly banter between the two hosts.
Popularly known as the face of Radio City, RJ Salil and Archana with their charm and wit continue to keep the listeners in splits which in turn has helped the station emerge on the top of the leader board in the city. In an entertaining chat with Radioandmusic.com’s Chandni Mathur, the fun-loving duo reminisce their fun moments together and what makes them the successful ‘Jodi’ whom people love.
Excerpts:
Related Post
‘Kasa Kai Mumbai’ has completed three long years. How would you describe the journey?
Salil – Actually we don’t feel it’s been three years. Being a live radio show RJs, we actually don’t remember how long the show has been running on-air. There is so much happening everyday that the days just flow. If Archana and I were doing two separate solo shows, I would have got bored and left radio a long time ago. So the fact that there are two people who love fighting, chatting with each other and are still very different makes the journey more enjoyable for us as well as the listeners.
Archana – It’s more like when people have been married for around 10 years and they do not realize it. So when you have so much to do, you do not realize that you have completed such a long duration. But like Salil said, when you are alone the show seems like a battlefield and it’s like you are bragging for hours. And we are two people with contrasting energies in a compatible way.
How has the show changed you both? Any new qualities you see in each other?
S –I am not a person who trusts anyone easily. I have always done everything on my own in life. So I think Radio City has allowed me to start trusting a few people. But delegation and team work is very important to realize your responsibilities and through all this I have learnt to share victory, success and prosperity.
A –I guess the show has taught me to listen. Most RJs are so busy talking that they sometimes forget to listen. Sometimes when Salil says something I disagree with then we argue about it and that has allowed me to listen. I have also realised that celebration is so important. The level of Salil shouting matches with the way he celebrates as well. We are such a gang now and with him being a foodie, we are constantly exploring new places to eat in the city.
A lot of stations have recently undergone a major shift in formats with content and programming. Has it been difficult for you to maintain competition?
S –I know that the perception may differ, but there is no contesting the fact that according to ratings in past two years, ‘Kasa Kai Mumbai’ has been the leading show. We have realised three things; content is king, audience participation is maximum as listener will not show interest if you just keep talking constantly. If somebody calls us Sir or a celebrity we correct them because we are not. A lot of rival radio stations are stuck in their ego and that’s the first thing we leave behind. We have never had to change anything about the show as this is what people like. The competition is increasing but we maintain what we do best.
What new elements have you introduced into the show to engage more listeners?
S– I would not want to reveal them as yet. New doesn’t necessarily mean better. We bring about changes and tweak it. There are different changes introduced but the basic premise of the show cannot change.
A – Well, we will be having two new segments being introduced into the show after the anniversary. We want to keep it under wraps right now.
Describe why a listener should tune into your show every morning?
S –Archana has been a dancer, knows numerology and has religious knowledge while I have been a stock broker, done TV and films and also have knowledge about cricket. So you can understand how diverse we are. There is no topic we cannot talk about. There is a way of presentation that others could have different opinions about. Our show is not about how much knowledge we have, it’s about how much we can share with the listeners.
A – The kind of variety that we provide, we are like a complete package for a breakfast show. When you have two contrasting people like Salil and Archana hosting a show; we try to engage the audience. Our different personality help people to relate to us.
Do you think it’s your successful chemistry that makes the show so popular amongst listeners?
S –Once the show goes on-air and the fun starts, you forget everything else. Our senses are so heightened, it’s like we are high on drugs. We also argue a lot. She has almost murdered me by throwing her headphones on me several times. But that’s the fun that keeps us going. You need the madness and the pressure to keep going.
A – Salil is so loud that I will go deaf one day. But yes, the chemistry helps because on a breakfast show where you have to get up so early when the whole world is fast asleep it is quite a depressing factor for us. Since we both are here, it helps bring out the spark in us. I think somewhere we both are high on life.
What inspires you to think creatively and spontaneously as you present yourself on the show?
S – To remain employed in Radio City. The uncertainty of each day inspires me. The beauty is not taking your job or talent for granted. There are a million people who can do the job better than you; they just do not have that opportunity. So it’s good to be grateful.
A – I think for me it’s the listener. I remember when I came back to Radio City seven years ago; an engineering student called me and thanked me for returning. He was crying. He said he had achieved really good grades because he heard me on radio. The fact that you have a listener, who is so high listening to you being high, is your reward.
Tell us behind-the-scenes story of bringing the show on-air every morning?
S – Generally it’s very hectic like most live shows. People have a view that RJs speak a lot but it’s not that way for us. We just speak for 10 minutes but in a precise way. There is no script between us and there is a lot of debating that goes on, so there is a lot of pressure as we just cannot say anything we like. There has to be a regulation. It’s like a rush for four hours which starts at around 7:30am and it carries on till 11am. It’s like dancing continuously for four hours. But it’s exciting, even today after so many years if we crack a good joke or play a good link we just feel so happy.
A – It’s a total marathon. Basically we take a lot of callers on our show since it’s a highly interactive show and because of that many times the callers want to talk more while we have less time. So we are pretty much in a rush but still have to be sound composed. There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes. We watch TV, read the newspaper, chat with each other, catch up with the listener and give them an update on the latest information.
Do you feel on-ground activities have proved beneficial for RJs?
S – It all depends on how it is executed. The main problem that I feel with radio is that it is so big that somewhere compared to television and films, it suffers a complex. Perception is the key. I remember when I bought a car, people said to me, “you are doing radio and you bought such an expensive car?” this is the number one problem that plagues radio.
A – We have had very memorable on-ground activities. Once we actually took an entire bus of listeners for a picnic to a resort. Taking for such an outing and seeing the happiness on their faces was exciting. Basically it was the GPL contest for which we took people from different areas for the gully cricket contest. So watching people enjoy that moment was a job well done by us.
Tell us one memorable moment that transpired while hosting the breakfast show?
A – One day when I left my home from Vashi, I was almost about to crash into this milkman named Harish Shankar who was on a cycle on the wrong side of the road. That day I realised that these guys put their life at stake and deliver goods to us on time. I came and narrated the entire incident to Salil during the show and told him that we do not realize the value of such people. On the same show, we got a call from the same milkman who thanked us for realizing their value.
Your show also features many celebrity guests. Which guest has been your favourite and why?
S – Whenever Raghav Sachar, Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam come to our studio it’s an amazing experience.
A – Since we add a lot of humour in our show everyday, so when a celebrity comes and makes us laugh instead is a very rare happening. I think someone who has been funny and honest for me is Bipasha Basu. She looks very stoic and proper but when she talks she speaks her heart out. We have also had the opportunity of interviewing Lata Mangeshkar; I don’t think I have ever met a celebrity beyond her. She has a knee problem but she tip-toed her way till the window just because she wanted to see the view from there.
Salil and Archana without each other are like __________?
S – Incomplete. God forbid if Archana gets married, I don’t know what I would do without her. I will take the radio station to her house because I would not be able to do the show with anyone else.
A – Morning without coffee.
Who is your favourite RJ and why?
S – I feel one of the funniest people I have met is RJ Rohit ‘Vir’. He is not so in real life and it’s more about his timing. He can make you laugh in three lines and that is amazing.
A – I love the fact that RJ Gaurav of ‘Kal bhi Aaj Bhi’ takes you on a journey that is so relevant. It’s a completely emotional journey and I love it.
Which RJ do you view as serious competition?
S – Jeeturaj and Malishka are always good competition. Obviously they are very healthy competition to us and we better be for them as well. I enjoy both of them. They have great power and ability to be hilarious.
Chances of a goof-up on a live show are not rare. Comment in relation to your show.
S – We always have goof ups but you will never know. Our quality controls are so strict now that chances of a goof up are much less. It’s only human that sometimes you mess up things. But our chances of a goof up are far lesser because we are two people. So if one forgets, the other one covers up.
What does the show mean to you today?
S – It’s an unavoidable part of our lives now.
A – It is like breakfast! Keeps us alive and going.
How do you plan to celebrate the anniversary with your listeners?
S – We are going to have a huge party with the listeners between 4-7pm and a lot of our close friends including singers like Babul Supriyo, Baba Sehgal, Harshdeep Kaur amongst others will be present. It’s going to be a chilled out zone as nobody is out there to perform, we will just meet each other and have a great time.
Any special message to listeners on your third anniversary?
A – Thank you for listening in and for loving all the nonsense that we bring to you. Infact our arguments have been the most loved aspect of the show and we are not going to stop that.
