Thirteen Years and Counting...........................(Part-7)

By the time I contacted BBC Delhi office for my internship,Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya had left for London.But I went up to BBC office.Swati, who was handelling production at that time asked me to wait and to verify, she perhaps made a phone call to London. An impatient me waited till she return from inside and thank god that Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya verified my claims.

I was asked to meet Seema Chishti,then Bureau Chief of Hindi Service. I had already listened her husky voice many times on BBC Radio, so it was a pleasant task to speak to her.I rang her up and she asked me to meet next day. Again ,as mentioned I gatherd my certificates and reached BBC's , 1-Rafi Marg office.It was a sunday and no one else was in office.She went across all my certificates,which as I feel was not required.She allowed me to start internship from next day.

It was an exceptional chance.BBC does not have a provision to intern people.Rather it allowes traineeship at its HQ in London. But it was an opportunity and I was eager to take this .We all know that BBC is known for its Radio Services and TV service of BBC came much latter. It started its firts broadcast in India in 1932 with inception of BBC Hindustani Service. It was bifercated as BBC Hindi and Urdu Service after partition.

BBC,since then has created waves across rural (mostly) India. 1971 war, Indira Gandhis' assasination and General Elections in India are some of the events of history through which BBC firmly established its Charishma in Indian subcontinent.

I can narrate a story about reliability off BBC. Late Prime Minister Mr Rajiv Gandhi was in Calcutta ,at the moment Indira Gandhi was hit by bullets. He got to know it but did not trust and kept a radio set sticked to him through out the flight he took to return to Delhi. He only believed when BBC announced about the tragedy.

Even me , as a nine year old boy eagarly waited for BBC Bulletint til 7:45 PM to get to know about whether or not Indira Gandhi had survived. We all were waiting for a charishma which never took place.


BBC has also been home to some of the prominent figures who served it,like Bal Raj Sahni, Inder Kumar Gujral, Purushottam Lal Pahwa,Onkar Nath Srivastava and Kailash Budhwar.

Not to say BBC is a trusted name but some how in recent years It has lost its charishma among its popular listeners.

During my internship I got to work with Seema Chishti, a St Stephens graduate, Mike Woodridges,who was heading south asia bureau, Salma Zaidi and Shalini Joshi who was a new face in BBC at that time.

How ever I keenly observed Andrew White Head and Satish Jacob working on stories in BBC office. Satish Jacob, who along with Mark Tully wrote the book on Indira Gandhi's assasination is a very humble man.

I learnt about Radio editing whatso ever I was told by Swati and copy writing. I remember that one day I got late and it was raining cats and dogs.Every one has left aprat from Yadav--the peon. There was no auto,bus or cab available at that night. I walked some odd five kilometers on delhi road to finally reach one of my friends place in Ber Saray.

India was celeberating its Fifty first years of independence in 1998 and every producer in BBC was preparing a special program to mark the day. I feel high amount of pride that this special occasion ,of which I was part of have left an unforgettable mark on me. I have not been able to understand the behaviour of two ladies who asked me to wind up my internship very next day. Perhaps, I was more than enough involved or may be it was observed that I had learnt quite a lot from BBC.

What so ever the two ladies called me in a cabin and asked that let's give a stop to my internship.I asked the reason as still there were four days left in my internship. She said nothing but to leave.

I was shocked and tried to call London to speak to Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya,but as I feel know,he was not consulted about this.

I am thankful to Seema Chishti, that she released my certificates .I thanked her for making me learnt about so many new things and returned to South Campus.

BBC,by that time had made me learnt about ABC in journalism.

It was my first brush up with in an International organisation at the age of 22 .I ended up with BBC in August 1998.But till date is remaining in touch with its people.

To be contineud..................................................

Thirteen Years and Counting..........(Part 6)

Rahul Dev, at that time was heading a program which by that time had created waves in Indian media,and every single journalist was willing to take a chance in that half an hour charishma of Indian Television news industry.

Aaj Tak,conceptualised and designed by Late Surendra Pratap Singh, a half an hour current affairs and news show on DD Metro had been a destination for many of today's achievers in media. Surendra Pratap Singh was a man who had created history as Editor of' Nav Bharat Times' and 'Anand Bazar Patrika's' Ravivar' at very early years of his life as journalist. A man without any biasness was an articulate journalist and more over a good human being. He died of Brain Heomopharage in Apollo Hospital in 1997.

I never got a chance to meet him.

Rahul Dev was his successor in TV Today. I phoned him on one sunday, seeking an appointment,however without realizing his busy schedule I started telling him about myself and reasons to meet him.Without taking any interest in my story,he asked me to meet at 4:00 PM on Wednesday.

As I have narrated earlier, I prepared all my documents and rushed well full one hour in advance to Aaj Tak office(It was at that time in Cannaught Place).Monika was the receptionist at inner circle, Cannaught Place office of TV Today. I waited for quite a while and then his secretary Shashi, directed me in a huge office where the bearded man was sitting and was on the phone with one of his relatives(perhaps his Mama) .I took the front chair and raised my hands just to rub off my sweated face.

The shrewd eyes of Rahul Dev at one glance captured my rist watch.'Ghadi Badi Mehangi Hai', He said.

'Sir, Gift me mili hai', all was what I had replied without revealing the secret that it was mere a hundred rupee watch which I had purchased from Cannaught Place.

We conversated for twenty minutes and then he directed me to Mr Wahid Naqvi his deputy in Aaj Tak. In mid way I noticed Deepak Chaurasia shouting on his copy writers . Wahid Naqvi did not take a single minute to reject me I was quite unexperienced and was still into my course as he would have predicted.

I have no words to describe my psychological status. The earth and sky both were spinning before me. I took a round of inner circle in that state of mind and bought a cold drink to realax my mind. A normal practice for me uptill the series of my rejections in media.

Since then I would have made two dozen phone calls to Rahul Dev,sometime he came on phone and moreover, sometime agreed to give me an appointment.But never I disclosed why I could not join him or what Mr Wahid Naqvi had said to me.

I have no regrets or complains for either Rahul Dev or Wahid Naqvi. Three four years later when Sanjaya Pugalia took over from Rahul Dev,I met him also but he was supposed to move to Mumbai to start a new venture.

South Campus had been my shelter and a Head Quarter as I returned after each interview to nice surroundings of it to meet each of my friend and to have lunch at Murthy's canteen.That is how we all of us, Sarvada,Vikram, Brajesh,Manish,Vashistha,CK were spending the days in South Campus.

Those were hard days for all of us and we will never be able to forget South Campus that how it shelterd all of us.

My journey which started in Lucknow was taking a tough turn,but there was me determined like a rock that I will make it, whatsoever it takes.

And destiny was waiting for me in BBC,as I was promised by Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya for intership.

This was the time when India was visiting its satelite revolution.There were couple of channels.Zee, NDTV-Star,Jain and TVI.BBC by that time had winded up its half an hour show on Home TV.

Journey was tough and so was the travellar.

This was summer season of 1998 and the month was May.

Story was unfolding and so the wings of time for Indian news industry..........................

(To be Contineued)


Next---My meeting in Nalini Singh's office and my Two months in BBC's magical realm.

Thirteen Years and Counting..........(Part 5)

Very soon, we all of us, developed South Campus in to our second home.It became our shelter for the day and sometimes even for the night( an unofficial residence for some of us).We here only discovered what way we have to choose to decide the destiny.

As for me was concerned,I converted it in to a mini office for me ,specially yellow phone booth inside arts faculty building and the PCO just close to its gate.

The first phone call which I made was to ,as I said, Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya. As soon as I rang him up,on BBC address, a soft voice transfered the call to him. Many of us across the listenership of BBC Hindi Service,might agree about the magical pitch,intensity,Volume and Loudness(all the character we study on voice modulation) of his voice.' Hello' as he utterd,I by holding my breath asked for his permission to give me an appointmet to meet him in his office.

And as promised,some eight odd years back ,he agreed and called me at 3:00 PM very next day.This might turn in to a decisive moment,I thought. I collected all my paper clipings,which I got published in Lucknow,my certificates( this was a common practice for me when ever I got a chance to meet any significant person to show my 'might' through certifcates--I don't know if ever I succeded in my attempt) and reached at 3:15, late by full fifteen minutes.

He was busy writing his script(news story) and with his magical smile,very politly reminded me that I was late.With all my courage and all softness, I asked him to give a chance for internship in BBC.I was not sure,till date, what he said,but when I came out of the office the beautifuly crafted receptionist smiled at me. And I realized that I am going to spent couple of months in the magical realm of BBC and its marvellous people.

This was a start of my cynicism,of making phone calls,collecting phone numbers and asking to media giant to give me an opportunity.Which now I feel was developed in to my weak point as I felt that I was begging for something.And there is a saying ' beggers have no choice'.

I am sure that as for as media people are concerned only two male exceptions are there where this 'begger' phenomenon was not applied.And that is Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya and Mr Rajdeep Sardesai.

Yes, ladies in media are always my inspiration,who so ever came in my way.


Next call which I made was to Mr Rahul Dev( A man with whom I opted to meet for thirteen times, and at every time he agreed) and to Nalini Singh's office.

Not to say the south indian man and his beautiful canteen inside south campus has been feeding me up and even intentionly asking to me whether or not I have got my lunch.Murthy's canteen has been a place where from I bought my lunch everyday.and sometime dinner too.I do not know what was the reason.Its good food or Murthy's affection...............................................................................................................................I do not know if I still have some odd one thousand debt on him.

To be contineoud..........................
Next my meeting with more and more media people and how we spent our days in south campus and night outs.

Thirteen Years and Counting............(Part 4)

Initial two months I spent with a military family in Delhi Cantt. It has been nice seeing India's defence force and its amazing people walking all around.But my hunt for an independent shelter contineoud. While on way to South Campus from Delhi Cantt,one day, a person told me about localities in Palam and Mahipal pur. So after the classes I searched out about this place near IGI airport on NH-8.The place, a 'Jat' village metamorphosising in to a rich village with a five star hotel' Radison' in its surrounding and IGI airport at a two kms distance is unique in many sense.

I landed up in one house asking for a room on cheaper rate. The fat lady asked for 1000 Rs/month and finally I negotiated on 750 Rs/month. The most attractive thing was tiny dhabas just out side village(let's not call it village as it had above features in its surroundings) and awasome people of it. First time I a saw the Jat culture and inItially liked it. I firmly believe that this community can never be changed,whatsoever effort one put. They are born to dominate.

The room was shared by one of my fellow classmate who later escaped as he got another cheaper room.

This is the place which changed my perception towards life and really cultivated a never to be liked attitude in me. How ever I regained my 'sophisticated behaviour' , which is my defeating point till date.

I still miss Mahipal pur and its people a lot .

Manoj Dubey was the man who phoned me first about my selection in DU course and he was the first man to make me feel about the student lobby stucked in DU.A man in his early thirtees and a civil services aspirant, he joined the course to leave an option in case he did not get select in IAS.However he never succeded in his goal and I don'nt know where he is and how far he has travelled in media.

Brajesh Mishra a young boy from Patna,with a humerous personality and a relaxed approach towards media was the second person who caught my attraction. He was my fellow in my journey in media and even interned with me in ZEE news. He is a tall man always liked by girls made me laugh,when ever I find myself hard to make it in media.I never saw such an energetice fellow who achieved success at early stage.He is now serving as Bureau Chief of Patna bureau of Zee News.

Now is the story of Manish Kumar Jha, a man who never gave up,what so ever kind of difficulties he faced. He was putting up in Munirka village and his tiny room ,almost half part of it ,was occupied by tons of books, all paperback and published by Raj Kamal. Name a hindi book and it was there in his room.

And there was 'Vikram Sharma' a man from the lot of goal less creatures in south campus who roamed around without even bothering of having enrolled in any course. A staunch RSS supporter,and he is till date, I saw him arguing with each and every corner of south campus,on any issue which involved even a rotten part of RSS. I admire his cynicism.

And then there was a lobby,an intact,never to be defeated,civil services aspirants which was very regular to south campus just for the sake of library. The head of this lobby was Suresh Vashistha, a bald man,alwyas looked like in his late thirtees and never like a civil services aspirant.He later made in top 20 list of IAS,who took the way of LBS in Mussorie.

Sarvada Nand, how I can forget, a man alwayes trying to impress you without any reason and always intorducing himself with a soft voice(however he never succeded in it). Sarvada was in a cold war era with Suresh Vashishtha but as I said never succeded as Suresh had a long fan followeres in south campus.

Amidst all this,there was me, a rather young boy who ,however,in what so ever way was busy making dozen of calls to media persons,editors and correspondents to meet him in order to get a foothold in media .

The cynicism of making phone calls , sooner, was going to give him results...................................................................(Please note Year was early 1998)

To be contineoud.....................(next my meeting with media people and Murthy's canteen in South Campus)

Thirteen Year and Counting.......................(Part-3)

The first impression I had of Delhi---A city of 'Jats' with a tough tounge in mouth and a lathi in thier hand.But also the imression was of a city which is best in imparting education.But the first impression was overshadowing the last.Hence I decided to break my journey in 'Ghaziabad' and landed up in a small apartment of my relative.

Very next day I had to submit my fee in South Campus of Delhi University and took a DTC bus from ALT to Shiva Ji Stadium,Cannaught Place. I thought that after one hour long jouney I would have reached to DU.But , I was still in middle of Journey as I was told by a DU girl sitting on adjacent seat. I was in the heart of Capital of India and required to change the bus.I again took 620 no. bus which penetrated into Ring Road on Moti Bagh through India Gate ,Chankya Puri and Shanti Path. I was visiting some pictursque monuments and places of Delhi.

Any how I changed the bus again and took a Mudrika Ring Road sewa to Dhaula Kuan and entered in South Campus of Delhi University.

The department was and is still in the bad shape.Much to my shock it was poorest department in all the universities running Mass Communication courses and since it was attached to Hindi Department,administration hardly cared about it.There was no permanent faculty and with just an office assistant , Pradeep Budhiraja, and a vetearn academician and HOD of DU's Hindi Department,Prof Nityanad Tiwari, was administered.

The very same moment as I introduced myself to Mr Budhiraja, I decided that I am not going to finish this course and will certainly get back to University of Lucknow program.

But I had to save my back. A stunned me found myself unable to tell it to my father, where actually I was stucked.So I decided to face the challenge.

Also some where there was a charm of Delhi and its powerful media circle, which was my priority. So to get an excuse to remain in Delhi and meet its media people, I joined the course.

The second big challenge was to find a cheap and good room in near by location.

Hence I started weighing my option and running around to find the accommodation................................

To be Continued...........................( In next- How I landed up in Mahipal Pur and my friends in th DU course).

Thirteen Years and Counting-----------(Part-2)

The story was still in Lucknow. As I said the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Lucknow University had nothing to offer much but people in and around were interesting in many sense.They must get a place in this story........

Dr R C Tripathi, HOD as he liked to be refered is a man who cultivated his father's legacy to hold the post.He was typical hindi man surrounded with only 'like-minded -people'. He was the sole man to run the department and his strenth was the veteran man who nourished all of us--Mr Karuna Shanker Saxena. We all were dependent on our guest faculty.

Mr Girish Mishra, a journalist with a no. 1 hindi daily,and who perhaps had never compromised with his principles, put an insightful view of 'Reporting'. Then there was Akhilesh Mishra, another veteran in 'Gerua' Kurta-Dhoti taught us 'Press Law'.Most of the laws of press,supreme court rulings,constitution of India and political system was on his finger tips.

But as I said, I rather used my time after the classes to search out for a freelance job,which I got in due course. The department had some amazing students like one was and old aged muslim friend of us(name forgotten) from Aligarh.I have never seen such an enthusiastic and eager to learn fellow with a mastery over religion 'Islam'.

Pradeep Nair who later on sticked with department was another book warm,who was seldom humiliated by another friend of mine, Ashvini Bishnoi. Ashivini to whom I refered as ' Ashvini Albela,Lakhon Mein Akela' was an staunch hindi supporter and had got a dominating attitude.He was smart and popular and despite his keen interest in girls , had a cutting edge with his presence of mind.

Mukul Srivastava,who later became Ph.D holder under Dr Tripathi,and is now the only permanent faculty in department had a witty and tart tounge,always pinning me down with his jokes,crafted only for me.

Bhavna and Sarika were lady attraction in our batch.

Yogesh Dixit was our senior , who is now serving with Hindustan Times group at senior level.

Anwar was the only office assistant-cum-photographer in department.

And with this 'powerful' team department was running with all its 'might' .And amidst all this,there was me who was desparatly looking to make it in media, in the politically warm city. And my efforts resulted in to getting published in several newspaper's feature page and couple of job offers on part time.

And there was our late sittings in Lekhraj towers to have' parathas' and our point of focus on girls at Ashvini's house.Our search for news and current affairs magzines,Manorma year book and litreture books.Ashvini's preference was Civil Services and now I hope he would have made it.

' Ganzing' ( roaming in Hazrat Ganj--Lucknow's Heart) was also a daily routine.

And there was my attempt to overshadow all of it for which I had 'Obsessive-Nurosis-Disorder'.

But I was more hungry,and was dreaming for Delhi.

So as said,I got the way by assuring a place in Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism Program of Delhi University(However I never finished it and returned in University of Lucknow program).

I remeber,Ashvini came to my rented room,well three hours in advance, and even came to 'Charbagh Railway Station' to board me in Lucknow mail . And as Lucknow Mail took its speed,and made me faster towards Media City - Delhi , Lucknow-the city,by that time, had left a life time,never to be forgottent print on me-------------------------------------------The year was 1997 and month was September.

Thirteen Years and Counting..................................(Part-1)

Thirteen Years and Counting..................................(Part-1)

Today at 5:30pm

This is the story of a long pain and shorter gain........This is the story of an unending journey which has shown me all the ups and downs,suffering and pleasure,sorrow and happiness in media and have made me emerged from darkness to an enlighten world, have made me from an infant to a fully grown up man in media............................

I recall my meeting with a rather low profile,but remarkable achiever in meida Mr Madhukar Upadhyaya when I just had passed my 10th board exam in 1990.He was in Ayodhya to cover bloody shoot out on streets of Ayodhya and I ,by that time had decided to make my way in Journalism.That was a very cool meeting at his native house amidst long trees,wide playground,a holy temple and old but spreaded in all direction building. As I entered in his house through old trembling stairs he came out in a 'lungi' with a 'Janeu' on his bare upper abdomen. Very politly he siad,"Thakur pandit ji ke bete ho".I gave a positive nod and then discussed about my dream to be like him and serve in the three letter charishma of media--BBC. He wrote down his home address of Delhi and promised to see me in Delhi---after my graduation.

Exactly five years later when I passed the entrance test of Mass Communication course of University of Lucknow, I,while on my way from Ayodhya to Lucknow ,I again rang him up to ask him whether or not to submit the fee for said course,he advised to stick with the course, and that decided my fate to pack up my bags for a rather longer journey in media.The year was 1997 and the month was March.

Lucknow University as I had presumed had nothing to offer much in terms of classroom studies,but as a city Lucknow, at that time was 'Mecca of Media' for it was a political center of all kind of politics we study in our books. So,soon after taking admission in Masters program, and to live up to the dream of my father I started roaming around and knocking on the doors of each news paper and media houses. Luckily, I was noticed by one of my teacher and veteran in media Mr Karuna Shanker Saxena, and he offered( rather nourished my writing skills) me to write on regular basis for a feature agency,where he was serving as editor.

It was a kick start to my career media alongside my studies. And trually I enjoyed my job which lasted for six months--uptill my departure from Lucknow to Delhi. The first article which I wrote was on chinese leader Deng-Xio-Ping's death and it was published--not rejected.I developed relation in Hindustan Times and visited its lucknow office several times. I recall that we had plenty of students crazy for journalism and some of them has come a long way.Indeed begining in Journalism was as I had predicted.People with long bear and empty belly walking in newspaper office to get thier stuff published and editore always trying to find out how to reject them.

Through these unforgetful experience,and as time rolled down I had finished one year but some where deep in my concious was the picture of Delhi, where the real media was to be fought. The war between freshers and experience media people...the war between print and electronic journalism and a war which really has given the shape of today's media industry with the effort of the real heroes who are now not with us....

And I got my way to knock on Delhi doors as I always say where there is a will there is a way------------

To be continued...............