I believe radio is a woman. In this industry, women rule, says Mumbai ki Rani Malishka, of Red FM

In 13 years, Malishka, also fondly known as Mumbai ki Rani, has seen and heard many things, thanks to her popular morning show, Bajatey Raho. She has taken on politicians, the Mumbai city municipal authority, BMC,  and also spread love and cheer by raising awareness on many causes. Her audience loves her for her style and flair, the use of the local lingo, and her fearless attitude.

The Dadasaheb Phalke award for ‘RJ of the Year’ that Malishka won recently is not only a vindication of her popularity but of the way she has endeared herself to listeners and gone beyond the inane banter associated with a lot of radio shows to get authorities to act, in favour of the city.

A few days after she won the award, Malishka received a call from a listener. She could make out that he was on a Mumbai local train and, in the midst of all that noise, he was crying his heart out.

The RJ tells us,

“He was on his way to his workplace and, in the train, he was crying and telling me how happy he was that I won the award, that my energy on the show keeps him going.”

Malishka, of course was touched, by this gesture and others by many of her listeners. “In fact, we also took one of my listeners along, when we went for the award show,” she adds.

The city has a big heart

Ultimately, it’s all about her belief in the power of words.

“When someone talks of the show making a powerful impact, it all comes down to that video I made on the BMC on the potholes in the city to get their attention. Over the years, I have tried to raise my voice on different social issues and also bring the city together to contribute to various causes. I believe the city has a big heart, but people don’t know where to contribute their effort or money, so we happily became the connect,” she says.

Becoming a radio jockey was not a fortuitous happenstance. Malishka holds a degree in social communication and media from Sophia’s College in Mumbai, and always felt that media should always be a step in the right direction. At her Red FM interview, she spoke about rallying the media to report on the illegal blocking of her building gate by a few politicians. And as expected, this incident had them hooked.

Malishka believes that this has been her mindset from the very beginning.

“If you sit back and let things happen, it will happen again. That was the beginning of the journey and people have been very supportive. Three months back, a garbage dump appeared out of nowhere and a citizen constantly tried to get the authorities to act, but it was of no avail. Within two hours of announcing it on the show, it was cleared. That’s the power of radio.”

The changing face of radio has meant that it has moved beyond inane chatter to things that actually matter. “It’s always a question of what next. I am always overwhelmed with the kind of celebrity support we receive. Shah Rukh Khan readily agreed to meet the children of sex workers, Salman Khan participated in our Chaar Bottle Roz Ka campaign (where they asked citizens to hand over bottles of water in the summer), and Amitabh Bachchan invited children from the slums of Dharavi to his garden for a performance,” she informs.

Ordinary lives. Extraordinary experiences

With the advent of social media, radio got a further boost. “Social media has become the “television” of radio where we can add to the stories with more messages and videos,” she says. What about the incessant trolling then? Maliksha seems practical when she says, “I think trolling as such always existed in our brains, in our small social circles. Anyone who is popular has been trolled at one time or the other. But I feel the pros outweigh the cons.”

The radio is a workplace where women rule. “I believe radio is a woman. It’s one place where I find there is no pay parity or no inherent gender biases.” she says.

Apart from radio, Malishka also loves to act and was seen in the 2017 film, Tumhari Sulu.

“I am primarily a performer, a nautanki, and this is my core strength. I would love to get onto television and do a show like Oprah Winfrey or Ellen DeGeneres. Ultimately, a show is not just about celebrities alone, it’s about extraordinary things an ordinary person has done,” she says, as she signs off.