Actor Aparshakti Khurana started off his professional journey behind a radio console as a Radio Jockey (RJ). Since then, it has been an exciting road ahead and he credits the medium on World Radio Day today for making him ready for it. “Radio has taught me a lot, including teamwork, and how to be impromptu as I did live shows and that has helped me as an actor and host too. It has really shaped my future since,” he says.
Today, the medium seems to be getting less popular but Aparshakti Khurana still holds it close. “The appeal of Radio might have reduced over time, but its charm can never fade away. I still love listening to Radio when I am driving and it connects you to a very different world while also giving you food for thought about things happening around the world.”
For Aparshakti, his most memorable story from his radio days is when he interviewed actor Shah Rukh Khan for Ra.One (2011). “At that point of time, I had no plan of becoming a film actor. I was doing theatre but I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel to this journey of becoming an actor on screen. I was so much in awe of him and really thought that my reason of becoming a RJ got fulfilled that day,” he says.
The actor also reflects on a funny memory that still makes him chuckle. “Once I was live on Radio, and I had played the music after finishing my part, but I forgot to switch off my mic. I was telling my producer how mean our boss has been to both of us and it all went on air. People who were listening to it could all relate to it,” he laughs.
Ask him about the power of radio today, and the actor says, “Radio is a very local and colloquial medium. With so many people calling and telling their stories, it’s amazing to listen these different voices. You give these people a particular face and it just gives wings to your imagination.”