SUHANI
“YE AKASHWANI HAIN” (in deep bass voice) still echoes in the memories of our preceding generation. It may not come as a surprise that as a member of Gen Z, you may associate the term ‘radio’ with that glitchy noise and presenters with an unenthusiastic voice. However, the word ‘radio’ itself has a much more multifaceted connotation than we realize. I am not only referring to All India Radio but also to FM channels that have undeniably carried forward the baton of audio media in India. During long car journeys with my family, it is the FM channels that make the distance feel shorter.
The role of typical radio in my life was earlier limited to watching my grandpa catch up on daily headlines while snacking on peanuts on winter afternoons, and my grandma grooving to retro songs while knitting sweaters. However, my perception of radio changed when I became a part of the radio community myself. As a voice artist at Akashwani since 2017, I realized the vastness of the radio community in India and worldwide.
While the face is the index of the mind and the eyes are the windows to the soul, as a voice artist, all you have is your voicebox. I have had the opportunity to witness how voice artists dub shows in different languages in a recording room, and I have learned that being a voice actor teaches you how to become an actor automatically, whereas the reverse may not be true. A recording studio isn’t just a place where an artist comfortably reads out their script before a mic. It’s a whole theatre stage where emotions come to life and artists fully embody their characters. Actors break out in tears during emotional scenes, bang their feet on the floor during aggressive scenes, hop around the room, giggle through their eyes in happy scenes, and pull their hair or scrunch their noses to express frustration. While listening to the radio, only one sense is at play – hearing. But behind the scenes, there’s a whole different world at work that we don’t get to see.
The process of creating radio content involves many steps, from script preparation to voice acting, multiple takes, editing, screening, broadcasting, and delivering the final product to every corner of India. Despite the challenges, the radio community continues to approach their work with enthusiasm and dedication. As a member of this community, I have a deep personal connection with radio. It has taught me many valuable lessons, and I know there is still much more to learn.
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