Weekend Exclusive | Red FM's RJ Rishi Kapoor: The distance between my two careers is 3 inches!

If speaking is your passion, today you can make a career out of it! Radio jockeys though have existed in a different form for over a century now; the term only became popular with the advent of FM channels. The role of a radio jockey has changed over the years from an announcer to an entertainer. You could speak your way up through the ladders and become as much of a celebrity as a Bollywood star.

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, RJ Rishi Kapoor, recently roped in by Red FM for their new late night show Full Tension Release, talks about the various facets to this fairly new profession.

A practicing dentist by the day, Kapoor began his career as a RJ in 2006 when he won a RJ hunt. Kapoor with an easy smile said, "Dentistry is for the teeth and RJing is from the vocal chords, so practically the distance between my two careers is 3 inches. On a serious note, both my jobs require a high degree of people skills. I love interacting with people and I would like to believe that as a doctor and as a radio jockey I improve lives and ease pain"

Full Tension Release which is aired from Monday to Friday, 9-12am; is designed to take away the listeners' stress and help him unwind with some melodious music, fun games, and light hearted entertainment, Kapoor said.

"The show is different from the typical retro music or love advice being aired during the night shows on other radio stations," he further added. "Full Tension Release' airs super-hit, refreshing songs from the last two decades. The show also has entertaining sections like Song of the day, Tension Metre, and Ajab Rishi ka Gazab Khel .

"Before I went on air, the programming team and I sat down to brainstorm on the late night show. My Programming Head and I were both sure about what we didn't want the show to be, I didn't want to be a love pundit, or a philosopher, or read out shayari on air. I wanted to be myself on air and Red FM lets me do just that," he said talking about his show.

The show has a clearly defined theme which sets it apart from all the other late night shows. "Full Tension Release is a show that I would tune into if I wanted to unwind after a difficult day. What I like about working with Red FM is that they make you realize that there is a science to the art of entertainment," he further explained.

Red FM celebrated across the country for its attitude. "I joined the station about 3 months ago, and it has been one hell of a ride so far. I have been in the industry for almost 4 years now, but every day at Red has been a revelation," he stated with unmistakable passion.

Challenges are similar to what other radio jockeys may face. "Making sure you give listeners reasons to tune in every day, keeping your content fresh and interactive, ensuring that listeners can connect to you and what you are saying, and of course playing their favourite songs for them. However, because my show Full Tension Release has a premise behind it, it makes it easier to do my job," said Kapoor

This young and vibrant personality reveals that his show though allows him to be himself, it also requires a lot of homework. The beauty lies in the details; a lot of detailing is done before Kapoor goes on air. "Full Tension Release requires a lot of brain storming in terms of preparing games, quizzes, editing etc. The show has a number of interactive segments and fun elements, for which my producer and I spend about two hours before show time preparing for it," he said.

In a profession like this music plays an important role. Kapoor said, "I like music, period. I was lucky to grow up around people who had very different tastes in music. So, my taste in music includes everything from trance/ house to Bollywood music. I do, however, have a soft corner for Bollywood music from the past ten years."

Like all regular guys next door, Kapoor too likes to catch up with friends and family, watch movies, work out and play cricket in his free time.

While many struggle with just one career, barely finding the time to cope with it, Kapoor says he is happy balancing both his professions for the time being. He has plans to open up his own clinic in the future.

In this space, one has to get used to instant recognition and fame. Kapoor narrated a hilarious incident with regard to his fan experience. "Once at a college show, a female fan kissed me on the cheek and then ran away. She also slipped a chocolate and a letter into my jacket's pocket. It was pretty embarrassing but it did make me feel incredibly special," he said with an amused glint in his eye.

On an ending note, Kapoor believes that a show works mainly because of fans and urges his fans to call in and give him valuable feedbacks. | By Janees Antoo [janees(at)adgully.com]