RJ Chaitu on cloud nine

Radio jockey Chaitanya Basava, who is popularly known as RJ Chaitu, is on cloud nine these days as he got nominated for India Radio Forum Awards 2017 (IRF) for third consecutive time. The RJ, who hosts ‘Midnight Biryani’ and ‘Zabardast Masti’ on Red FM 93.5, have won IRF awards in 2015 and 2016 for the show ‘Zabardast Masti’ in the Non-Breakfast category and this year he is nominated in Best RJ and Best Show categories. Chaitanya is hopeful of making a hat-trick this year. The results will be announced on May 19 during the award ceremony.

Hailing from Vijayawada, the RJ has more than 40K followers on social networking site Facebook. Speaking about his stint as an RJ he shares, “When I was studying Intermediate in Loyola College, Vijayawada, I watched music director Devi Sri Prasad’s live concert. I was impressed with his performance and interaction with people. He is a complete entertainer. At that moment I decided to become an entertainer like him.”

“After my course, I came to Hyderabad and pursued a diploma in Animation at Arena Institute, Dilsukhnagar. Then I used to listen to the shows of RJ’s Raj, Deo and Prathika. I used to meet them regularly and observed them and was inspired by these RJs. That time I decided to become an RJ and entertain people with my voice.

I was talkative since my childhood and used to participate in all interactive programmes and that also helped me in my career. I went for auditions to Red FM and was rejected four times. However, I did not lose hope and did more hard work and finally, I was selected in my fifth attempt. My mother was very supportive and gave me all freedom to choose my career,” Chaitanya recalls.

Chaitanya informs that in the beginning of his career as an RJ he used to do outdoor shows. “Impressed with my work in ‘Red on Road’ show, I was given an opportunity to host a new live show ‘Midnight Biryani’ in 2013 and after this show, people started recognising me and from then there was no looking back for me. In 2015, I started a new show ‘Zabardast Masti’, which is a ladies show and I also did various popular TV shows like ‘College Style’ ‘Vow’, ‘Chai Biscuit’ and ‘Must Time Pass’.”

Chaitanya states that an RJ should deliver ‘infotainment’ (information and entertainment) to keep the audience hooked. “In my opinion, an RJ must have a sense of humour, knowledge and spontaneity. One should be adaptive and must be ready for sudden changes,” he concludes.

By V Sateesh Reddy