THE HUMAN , THE RAJAT SHARMA

Kuch hi dino key andar;

Rajat Sharma;

will become;

PADMA BHUSHAN Rajat Sharma;



He is the one who gave me a break into Television;

He is the one who took personalised efforts to send me to Mumbai;

He is the one who taught me the importance of clothes in the Screen Worlds;

He is the one who sent me on my first reporting assignment to Aligarh;

He is the one who told me about Mumbai;

He is the one who tried to transfer his old MTNL Mumbai phones to me;

He is the one who spoke to Subhash Ghai…For Me;

He is the one whom I always called first whenever I landed in Delhi;

He is the one who personally  showed  me his Amar Ujala Newspaper cuttings to encourage me on Hindi;

He is not only a National Personality;Owner of a News Organisation;

He is beyond that;

Remembering my journey with him;

I want to tell the world about the unknown Rajat Sharma;

The Real Rajat Sharma!!!!

 

Scene 1  &  The Rajat Effect

October ,1994;

During the early morning hours,Rajat Sharma at his house in Delhi receives a call on his Landline phone;

An unknown boy speaks to him in Hindi for Ten Minutes;

Explaining what he wants to do,clarifying his abilities and dreams;

Rajat Sharma was a celebrity even then;News and Current Affairs Director of Zee TV in Delhi;

He did not interrupt the boy,Just listened,Gave him his office number and asked him to call him after few days after he finishes the shoot; (He was shooting for Aap Ki Adalat during those days)

This boy had searched the Directory of Delhi MTNL and found 28 Rajat Sharma listed in it;

He tried to call all of them,and finally got the one whom he wanted to get on phone;

Rajat Sharma did not know about these efforts,about the boy

He just invested his 10 Minutes on phone for a stranger;

And a professional was born;

Myself!!

 

Rajat Effect of Scene 1

 

How many of us remain open or accessible to new talent!!!How many of us even take phone calls of not usable people!!! (Sad but the reality)

How many of us don’t even dump old relationships in the graveyards of our successes!!!

Rajat Sharma was and is an exception;

Remain Accessible to people;

Mostly Unpracticed Need of the Media and Entertainment industry;

Even Today;

He replies,He answers,He remains available!!!

He is much bigger than so many successful people around,

But;

He is also much bigger a person!!!!

 

Scene 2 & The Rajat Effect

 I was told to wait;

He was checking my Patience; (This I later realised)

After a long wait of 8 Hours at the reception of  Zee TV office at J 27,South Extention 1 in New Delhi;

Rajat Sharma appeared in a bright yellow shirt;

Haa Batao;

And I spoke at length;

Aap Ki Adalat is a great programme but I don’t like Helpline as It helps only a few people,It does not serve the larger purpose,But I want to work for Aap Ki Adalat;

Khalid;Would it not be better to work on that which you feel is not good enough,You can make it better.

I was neither sent to Aap ki Adalat not to Helpline;

He sent me to Umesh Upadhyay to work for his show “Insight”

 

Rajat Effect of Scene 2

 

He knew how to give a clean slate to a newcomer to perform without any bag and baggage;

He gave me a sentence also : I cant give you a job but an oppurtunity to proove yourself in 15 days!!

How many of us know the Science of igniting the hidden energies of newcomers!!!

Rajat Sharma allways knew it;

Later;

Most of the Biggest names of News Television today were appointed  as newcomers by Rajat Sharma in Zee TV;

Some people can forget,I can never forget;

Rajat Sharma has got an instinct to choose and appoint people;

He does not go by CV,He goes by his instinct.(He himself told me once)

How many of us can take chances with people like this!!!

Rajat Sharma takes chances with people;

And it gives us professionals!!!

Hundreds of people should be thankful to him.

 

Scene 3 & The Rajat Effect

 

I worked for him in Aap ki Adalat also; (He was noticing my notes made on Newspaper Cuttings)

Finally;

13^th March,1995 :Zee News was launched at 10 PM on Zee TV!!!

He will come at 10 AM for the Editorial meeting,He will come at 8.30 PM again for the Mastering of the News Bulletin.(Those were the different days for News)

Sometimes,He will visit the Newsroom during the daytime also;

One lazy afternoon;

The PTI Ticker gave us a news :Riots in Aligarh!!!

Aligarh me Danga ho gaya ji , Said Umesh Upadhyay.

Kisi ko bhej do,Kisko Bhejey,

He looked around,He looked at me,Isko bhej do

After sometime;

A News Researcher was travelling to Aligarh with an Ex Wedding Photographer-Cameraman to cover the Aligarh riots;

I became a News Reporter in few hours.My fellow Cameraman became a News Cameraman in few hours.

 

Rajat Effect of Scene 3

 

I have always realised that he walks slowly but he thinks very fast;

He notices minute things without letting others realise this;

He creates opinions after observations;

And he throws people in a situation;

Where they have to perform;

They have to become what they deserve to become;

How many of us learn this HR attitude of working in our daily practices!!!

Rajat Sharma does it;

He believes in First Time Efforts;

Because he himself made it that way;

Got into Television without any background in Television!!!

WOW!!!!

And the man has created a News Empire today!!!

 

Scene 4

He called me to his small room.

Have you got your salary? / Yes Sir / Go and buy new good clothes today. / He said;I also used to wear Khadi once upon a time but we need to change ourselves to suit our surroundings.

The Rajat Effect:Get involved with your people up to that extent where you advice them on their clothes.How many of us get so involved with the life of our Co Workers!!! Its not a Science,Its an art!!!

 

Scene 5

See these News Clipping. / I looked at a file full of old Newspaper cuttings in Hindi / These were Rajat Sharma’s writings for Amar Ujala in Hindi / I looked at him / He said;I too used to to write in Hindi but English is equally important / Learn Fast / And I learnt!!!!!

The Rajat Effect:Train your people with personalised efforts.How many of us have taught our people like this!!!!Rajat Sharma becomes a friend!!!He could be the best friend if we remain best to him!!

 

Scene 6

When the whole world did not know his plans beyond Zee TV;

One Fine Morning,In his small room;

I am leaving Zee TV very soon.You go to Mumbai before I leave as someone else might not transfer you to Mumbai once I leave!!

WHY!!!!

The Rajat Effect : Keep your Commitments.He had promised me to send to Mumbai which I always wanted and he wanted to fulfill his promise before he leaves.

How many of us remember our promises,And that too made to a young new employee!!!

Rajat Sharma was true to his words.Its a rare quality in him.

 

Scene 7

Rajat Sharma came to me in Newsroom and sat just behind me;

Almost Whispered in my ears;

Khalid Mohammad;I have spoken to Subhash Ghai,You go to Mumbai and work with him.

 Later He draws a map of Mumbai on paper,Explains about Mumbai;

He speaks to someone in Mumbai,If his old Landline numbers of Mumbai are still activated,They can be given to this young boy!!!

Rajat;Why don’t you send him to Nitin Keni,asked Ritu Dhawan!!!

And he did all that he could do;

 The Rajat Effect: Corporate life exists beyond Corporate responsibilities also.Help People and he always moved beyond the Corporate dimentions to help new people.

 

I came to Mumbai.

Later I resigned to join Rajat Sharma’s IMPL.

I shared the Defence Colony days of him when there was no India TV;

And he got busy in creating his News Empire;

I got busy in creating my life in Mumbai;

Zee TV,IMPL,Hinduja Group,Journalism,Corporate,Daily Soaps,Scriptwriting,Ekta Kapoors and RonnieScrewwalas,GEC,HeadingCompanies,Indonasia,Dubai,Pakistan,Consultant,Digital,Producership,Enterpreneurship

This all belongs to that phone call that I made to Rajat Sharma in October 1994;

Choosing those 28 names and calling all of them;

In search of Real Rajat Sharma of News;

I found out the real one;

But many people still have not found out the real one;

They talk about Rajat Sharma-the Newsmaker of India,They talk about India TV,They write good or bad things about him on Facebook and Twitter,They follow or Unfollow him;

But there is allways something which not many know;

We need to travel with the person on a journey ;

I was fortunate enough that I travelled with him for sometime;

I could understand him through my understanding of him;

 

I shall post this piece online;

I am surely going to tell him about this post;

Sharing with  him;

That I wrote not on the Chairman of India TV;

I wrote on “him”

I know,Sometimes It will be difficult for him to keep alive this “him” in the political atmosphere of Delhi;

But;

Please keep this alive;

 

This "him" is more important;

 

This "him" in you inspires a Khalid to remember every thing of you even after 20 long years;

 

I am sure,This "him" of him will stay alive for years to come;

And;

There will be so many Khalids  in coming years to write on;

THE HUMAN,THE RAJAT SHARMA!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS IS NOT NEWS UNTIL!!!!! (CONCLUDING PART 2)

 

Year 1996,New Delhi

 At J 27,South Extension Office of “To Be Launched Zee News”

 My teacher in Television News started telling me things.(He was in those few in the country at that time who knew about Television News as he had worked with the only News Provider of that age:Doordarshan News)

He said, “In Television News,Visuals are more important than the Audio.We are in the business of images.Keep this in mind.”

Oh My God!!!!

He knew the biggest secret at the time of the Big Bang of Television News in this country,

He moved on to other sectors;

And  his precious saying was forgotten by the coming generation of Television News fraternity.

Yes;

The Images!!! Not the Audio!!!

We are not discussing  a Silent News Bulletin on a News Channel;

But his saying tells us about the power of visuals in Television News,It does not need the support of shouting anchors or overdoing reporters from the spots,All It needs is the understanding how the viewer will understand it!!!

This was directly related with the form of the Narrative.

Now the teacher is back in a bigger role as the head of a News Network,I hope that his forgotten saying will be brought back to create a connect of usefulness  between the Television News  and the viewers.

So

POINT NUMBER 3 : The connect of usefulness  has to be created. (This connect of usefulness can be found and studied in the advertising industry driven initiatives and products.Entertainment Television is a connect of Engagement.)

OK

Now What!!!

Nothing;

We just need to watch Entertainment Channels for few days.We can find many weekend shows and programmes on these channels , in disguise of an entertainment programme , But they actually are News programmes.

Television News did not innovate  its programming and much of its possible programming was hijacked by the entertainment channels..And there,It delivers good ratings…Crime Based Shows,Issue based Shows,Truth Exposing Reality Shows,Humanatarian Programmes..All- that could have been giving ratings to News are today on Entertainment channels.

Television News should get it back with more innovation on it.

Any format,Any Form can be changed anytime.It should just experience good.

Formats can be changed in seconds;

As I change  the format of this piece of writing NOW!!!

 My dear Television News!!

You have an advantage!!!You go LIVE!!!They don’t.(Mostly),So the power of Live Realism with right kind of the connect of usefulness will any day bring your things back to you.

NOW

The issue of talent.

Dear Television News!!

You are mostly based in Delhi;

Do you know the fact that thousands of talented people working in Mumbai come from Delhi only.

Why don’t you hold them for News industry!!!They are there..But they might not be there in News channels..They are young  and bright boys and girls studying or planning their lives..Catch them..They will give you great output but they will remain with you.. only , If you create an exciting creative layout of News and its programming for their talent to get exposed.

I guess,you should also look at another interesting fact , My Dear Television News!

The biggest entertainment channel in India is being run by many News persons today.They are the ones who are handling and controlling the world of fictitious stories.They are doing it very successfully.

These News persons discuss Scripts,Clothings,Sets,Music,The Look and Feel..The Content Positioning,Its designing to touch the pulse of the consumers..Viewers

They do it all very successfully,This I can tell you with confidence,

How is it possible !!!

Because a News person always gets a 360 degree view of the surroundings and happenings;

A News person can fit into anything with right kind of attitude;

So the power lies within!!!It just needs to be understood!!It just needs to break the barriers of restricted thinking!!It just requires courage!!

I feel that AAP KI ADALAT  on India TV is the biggest example of courage shown in last Eighteen  years of private news bulletins  in India.

The presenter of the show,The owner of the channel,is a landmark personality;

He is my mentor,He gave me a professional life to start with,I can be biased towards him,But I am not;

This is a fact that;

He created the format of the Adalat in Television News twenty  years ago taking the risk of being laughed at,Taking the risk of being rejected by the viewers..He took the risk and  did it..and Yes ,There was a visionary business  man at Zee TV  standing to support him.

Why did he support him;

He supported because he was a businessman,He focussed on the pulse of the people rather talking about the academic  seriousness of the News business

So I can say again;The bigger roles of Corporate groups in Television News may enhance its output.

I am very hopeful for the Television News industry;

I may be right on few things,I may be wrong on few things;

But my perspective will remain a third angle perspective as I write it from a point  where I am neither inside the Television News nor completely out of it.

Oh yeah;
How can I forget it!!!!

One of my friends , The powerful head of a News Channel,has just completed his first Hindi feature film as a Director..Should I tell you the name..I am sure you know him.

See,He has narrated News Stories all his life;

He is easily narrating a fictitious story now!!!

Question:What does it mean?

Answer:It means that anything is possible.News people can do anything.For doing things outside News,For doing things inside News..So you do you job..I do my job..Before that,Let me congratulate him.
Congratulations My Dear Friend,You could be the latest inspiration for the entire Television News world.

J

NEWS IS NOT NEWS UNTIL !

 

Year 2001,New Delhi

The News Director of the Number 1 News Channel of the country did not ask me , rather he  told me a strange thing : I want you to take an assignment for this News Channel.I want you to take independent charge of an half an hour News Programme of this channel…and give it the energy,orientation and the psychology of the Entertainment industry where you work now...He continued..Here in News,We have better stories than the fictitious stories of the entertainment world  but here  we don’t have an innovative and gripping form of narrative..The connect with the people!! I was surprised but confident about his vision..Unfortunetly,We could not work on his visionary idea.

 

Year 2004 ,Mumbai

The News Director,Now the Editor of a big news channel again told me the same thing :There is a 7 PM show on this channel..I want to experiment with the form,format and the narrative of it..Again,It could not happen but,

We made a special series on the on-going war between Raj Thackerey and Uddhav Thackerey.

An experiment was finally made!!

The larger story  was a political one but It was presented as a human story of a family.Things were attempted at the micro level of its idea and Script.

If this thought and approach of the News Director could have been remained  available to News Television, This could have been the beginning of a new phase for Television News in our country.

The News Director moved on to lead the world of stories in the entertainment world.He knew the power of real stories..He experimented with the form,format and narratives of the fictitious stories..He himself became a great success story.

His success in the entertainment world is an argument in favour of the fact that..If News could understand the power of form,format and narrative,If News could understand the philosophy  that viewers are a living thing and not a concept ,If News could understand the responsibility of engaging the viewers with the usability of the content…The day will not be far when a News channel can surpass the ratings of a General Entertainment Channel!!

I just asked myself why I am writing this piece on News from the point of view of this visionary!!

Simple!!

Because I never heard such things  again from anyone in the world of Television News.

So What I got from his vision can be a part of my narrative today.

POINT NUMBER 1 : The hidden  OPPORTUNITY in News was understood by him.Its still there.

Now comes the second thing:ACCEPTENCE OF THE TRUTH

 

Long back,He asked me;

Can you make a five minutes capsule on Entertainment World for my News Channel?

I said, “ There can be a half an hour daily capsule on the happenings of the world of TV Serials.”  (We were discussing this at a time when no news programme on TV serials was existing on any News Channel.)

The team in the News Channel was not convinced with the idea.Many thought that News Channel should not promote the Entertainment Channels.

The visionary said, “This is wrong.We in News Channels are nowhere in comparison to the ratings of the Entertainment Channels.We have to accept the truth and the truth is this , that we get benefited  by showing the serials of the entertainment channels on our News Channels.”

Acceptance!!

That a whole world of communication with the viewers exists beyond News Channels.

We can study the methods and impacts of this communication to utilise it in the narratives of the News Channels.

POINT NUMBER 2 : News needs innovation and innovation can come from outside the world of News also.We have to accept this truth.

Beliefs and Opinions are always personal,So mine are too!!

In the world of Television News,Today

Oppurtunity is there;

Acceptance is not there;

And without acceptance,How can we bring in the change!!

 

When we look at the Entertainment Television today;

We can see that a lot of academic and research driven thinking is being applied not only to bring in micro level changes but to adjust with the futuristic change patterns also.

When we look at the News Television today;

We don’t find these elements.Things are same for the last many years.

 

Now,At a time

When the biggest corporate group of the country has directly taken control of a News Network;

People are skeptical;

But I feel that this could be the best thing ever happened to the world of News Television;

It might introduce a new element;

Element of Responsibility;

Business grows on responsibility..and the business groups  believe in fixing up the responsibilities;

If the business responsibility to engage and hold the viewers is introduced aggressively;

Then the News Teams have  to learn the new forms of narratives of their stories and programmes..To engage the viewers..To hold the viewers.

The disconnect with the viewers has to go;

 

So Mr Network 18 News Network!! (Its so obvious!! J )

You are a source of hope for the entire world of Television News;

I leave it to you  and intend to end this piece of today.

But!!

We did not talk about the possibilities of various ideas in News Television!!

Can we innovate? Can we experiment? Can we introduce a new kind of programming? Why cant it be  Useful News? Why cant we introduce new concepts?

This and more;

In the concluding part of this piece TOMORROW!!!!!

 TO BE CONTINUED