Those behind the show will go out on the streets, parks, bus-stations, theatres, parking spaces, shops, malls, on-board a public bus or trains and other public spaces, and listen to people and their stories. (Representational Image)
Anybody and everybody — a carpenter, a welder, a bus driver, any anonymous face in the crowd — may now get an opportunity to go on air, thanks to a new programme by Akashvani. To give the common man, and woman, of the city a voice, the Pune station of Akashvani is all set to launch a unique programme. Titled Mazha Hi Aika (Listen, Even to Me), the weekly show will be on-air every Wednesday from June.
Those behind the show will go out on the streets, parks, bus-stations, theatres, parking spaces, shops, malls, on-board a public bus or trains and other public spaces, and listen to people and their stories.
“Radio is not only meant for prominent personalities, it is also a medium through which even a common man can voice his concerns,” Gopal Autee, deputy director (programme) at All India Radio (AIR), Pune, told The Indian Express.
To begin with, the AIR programme plans to feature bus drivers, ticket checkers, house-wives, conductors and street vendors, among others. On how they came up with the idea, Autee, who has earlier introduced a similar show in the Mumbai station of Akashvani, said, “Every man out there holds wisdom and knowledge of his own and has his own area of expertise. Does anybody ask a ticket collector or a volunteer at a public parking facility about his concerns and worries? This show will give them an opportunity to do so…”.
Meanwhile, All India Radio’s Pune station is also trying to take on social issues and other problems plaguing the city.
On the occasion of May 1, International Labour Day, Akashvani felicitated children of construction workers, who shared their experiences of survival and hardships. “Nobody cares about their well-being. That’s why we took up the initiative… we also gifted each child a mini-portable radio set,” said Autee.
The team has also been conducting interviews with experts on the problems faced by Pune residents. One such interview — with environmentalist Shridhar Mahajan — was broadcast in the backdrop of the controversy over the new constructions sanctioned on Empress Garden land.