A good morning with Shezzi

Good Morning, Good Morning croons RJ Shezzi, every morning keeping her listeners occupied, entertained and informed through her morning show at Radio Mirchi. The popular RJ has found her way into the heart of her listeners, and she deftly handles detractors, indulges her fans and makes their morning a fun beginning. To think that a chartered accountant chose to be a radio jockey and does not regret her decision one bit is definitely intriguing. I go with the flow – says this extremely positive and effervescent radio presenter.

Extracts from an interview:
Why did you choose to be an RJ?
It was all accidental. I am a chartered accountant and a company secretary by qualification. I worked in the finance sector for a couple of years. One of my uncles who happens to like the sound of my voicetook me to meet somebody at Radio Mirchi. That was the time Hyderabad was setting up its new radio station for Bollywood. They said you speak Hindi, English, you sound nice, why don’t you apply? I had decided that corporate existence was just getting to me and it was not satisfying my soul so I decided it was nice to take a break and re-grow. When this opportunity presented itself I just felt life is all about going with the flow and that is what I did.

Your day starts early. How do you handle the schedule?
My day starts very early at 4.30 in the morning. I stay about 27 kilometers away from my work place, and so I wake up early and make sure I hit the gym and then I have a show which used to be four hours that has now become five hours. During the first year I was not able to handle my time. In media we run short of time, because, we do not shut down; we should always be there,atleaston a phone call.

I was giving my full time to my work, always thinking about it. It became terrible and I started to neglect my health. There comes a point in life when you face the mirror and then you think - Abhi sensible ho jao! So that what’s happened to me. Now, I focus on my health too.

How do you manage abuses on the show?
To be honest, I was categorically told that even on digital space,if you’re a girl they are going to be people who have nothing better to do in life and feel validated by commenting on girl’s physical appearance and stuff. So,there was enough and more said everywhere and radio as well. Initially, we are told to ignore it and move on. Sadly, I was not able to do that. if I think any person is desperately trying to get attention, I just ignore it. But, if he says something very deeply disturbing, I tick him off. I don’t really mix words and don’t resort to diplomacy and let him know he has said something very unnatural.

How does it feel to be a celebrity? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being one?
I don’t look at it as a celebrity thing. I love to interact with people and to make friends. I like to trouble people in a funny way. When I look at it two years ago, I have had fewer friends and two years later I have a lot of friends, so that’s the concept. I don’t really think the celebrity thing has entered my head.

Why do you say good morning twice?
It’s a very interesting story. When the radio station started launching us, there was a person named Salman who used to do the breakfast show before me. I was told to observe since I was new. I was standing close to the console, in-front of the second mic and randomly he turned my mic on and started talking to me while it was live, I was so nervous I didn’t know what to say and I just happened to say good morning twice. It was an accident, and that stuck on.

How do you handle the show when you have mood swings?
Initially you could tell when I was upset or something bothered me. After a while, I have become consistent no matter what my problem is - weather I had a fight with my mom or somebody hit my car, I cross the threshold of the studio and my problems are just left behind. I just turn on the mic and connect with thelistener. As time progressed I started relating to the listener to an extent, that I wouldn’t hide anything. A lot of my shows are about things that had happened to me.

You have been a champion for a lot of feminist cause. How does it feel to be a feminist?
I am not a feminist, I am an egalitarian. I suppose in a strictest sense that the concept of feminism is badly worked right now. It has also become a bad word to say right now. You pick up a handful of women who claim to be feminist, they are really not. They are just trying to be like empty vessels making much noise.

Feminism as a concept cannot work without making sure that even men are taken care of and are looked after. At the end of the day it is to make sure that we are a society of equal, there can be no one-upmanship.

How do you see yourself 10 years down the line from now?
My chosen career has taught me to go with the flow in life and not have guidelines in mind. If you plan yourself to a great detail, then it could be a failure. What I want to be ten years from now is someone who has followed her heart and trusted the universe to lead her to where she is supposed to be and in doing so, found happiness not just for herself but for others as well.