The Business of Yapping

Noting that she was overwhelmed by the fact that so many people had turned up for the session,Malishka recounted her journey in the world of radio and how she had a humble beginning. “I lost my father when I was just 13 and my mother brought me up. When I finished my studies in 2003,I took up an advertising job only to realise that I didn’t like it. Luckily for me,I went for an RJ audition and got through 94.6 FM,” said the postgraduate in political science,who admitted that her outgoing nature helped her further her career.

Today,things can’t be any better as she gears up for an RJ meet in Switzerland in a couple of days,where she will represent India. “It’s a platform for RJs from around the world and there’s going to be a competition too. I am going to play some Hindi music and I even plan to get Shah Rukh Khan to chat with me on my segment from Zurich,” revealed Malishka,adding that radio has helped her discover herself. Not being aware of her own popularity in the early years also helped her stay grounded. “Now,I can handle the adulation. I know how to cash in on my spontaneity and shifting from one emotion to the other within a matter of minutes isn’t so difficult,” she pointed out.

So what would she have done if she hadn’t tasted radio stardom? Malishka,who coached actor Vidya Balan for her role as an RJ in Lage Raho Munnabhai,said,“I would have been making chapatis in some house. On a serious note,I would have been an actor like Balan as I have always loved to perform.” As far as her future plans are concerned,she wants to become the ‘Oprah Winfrey of India’ by hosting her own talk show. “Like her,I want to bring people together through my show,” said the RJ,who had a brief stint on TV with her travel show It Happens Only in India on Fox History & Entertainment.

That said,radio is still her first love as it helps her connect with the audience on a daily basis,apart from helping her realise her childhood dream — of buying her own house. “I am just glad that there’s no such thing as a retirement age for an RJ. Here,no two days are alike,” she said.