Shruti Vijay - RJ Shruti, Popularly Known as “Pat Pat Pataki Shruti” Meaning “Firecracker” Hosts “Pataki Mornings With Shruti”

I use the radio medium for a larger good... it's not just about content and contests, it's about spreading positivity, touching people's lives, giving them hopes for a better tomorrow and being a part of their journey.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

Now that's a very vast question... To start with I belong to a Tamil Iyengar liberal family thankfully. My father Late Dr B.R Sampath Kumar was a maxillofacial surgeon and my mother Vasundhara Sampath Kumar is the Artistic Director of Nataraja Nrithya Shala and my sister Sangeetha Sathyan is an educationist in California. That's to state the facts!

About my journey, thanks to the unprejudiced thoughts of my parents, I was exposed to different cultures during my growing up days. At the very beginning Cluny Convent opened my doors to understanding Christianity, I read the Bible, the old testament and the new testament. 

Then I studied in the Indian Embassy School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where I woke up every morning to the "Azaan" read the Quran and spent my days clad in a burqa. It was a whole new dimension. 

When I came back to India to complete my schooling, MES Kishore Kendra inculcated knowledge about the Vedas, our mythology, the Bhagavad Gita and much more. To conclude I realized all religions teach us the same values in their own ways. Hence I follow only one race: the human race!

2. Why did you choose RJing as a career and what were the first steps you took?

I didn't!!! RJ'ing chose me. To cut to the chase, I was studying in Chitrakala Parishath when I just happened to take part in an RJ hunt for the fun of it. I love experimenting and experiencing life to its fullest. Little did I know back then that an impulsive act of mine would shape my entire career (in a positive way no doubt).

I'm still taking the first steps :) learning never ends. Every day is a new challenge and it becomes even more important to stay relevant and updated. But yes my biggest testing time was when I presumed I was hired to host an English show, which definitely was my forte but was stumped to be chosen to work for a Kannada radio station. 

And I had never learned the nuances of the language. My communication was limited to the basics. So from picking up the language in 30 days to Kannada having become my thinking language I have come a long way and this journey continues.


3. What challenges can one face during live calls?

Not many honestly. We have advanced quite a lot in technology and we no longer relay live calls. Caller interaction is always screened or pre-recorded. Hence with the concept of deferred live, only the edited relevant parts of the conversation with a listener or an expert are aired in most radio stations.


4. What are the skills required to be a radio jockey?

This list is endless!!! As per the industry standards, relevant educational qualifications and background is important. Alongside it's important to be able to emote and empathize, constant learning and up-gradation of skills both when it comes to the technicalities, software and hardware handling plus general knowledge is essential. 

Radio jockeys are no longer just restricted to behind the mikes, they need to have a social media presence, be camera-friendly, spontaneous and have a "unique trait" of their own. Being real is another important factor, You have to be you and articulate your thoughts in your words and your style.


5. Does one also need to be technologically savvy in your favourite?

Yes positively. Other than handling the radio console, one needs to know how to use a plethora of audio and video softwares and keep up to date with the tech trends.


6. What makes a person connect with their audience as an RJ?

Differs from person to person... For me, it is simply humanity! I use the radio medium for a larger good... it's not just about content and contests, it's about spreading positivity, touching people's lives, giving them hopes for a better tomorrow and being a part of their journey. It's not easy but ain't impossible either.


7. Which is your favourite book?

Too many to jot... but I'll stick with my very first favourite book "Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery"


- Shruti Vijay (RJ)

RJ Shruti, popularly known as “Pat Pat Pataki Shruti” meaning “firecracker” hosts “Pataki Mornings with Shruti” a morning edition from 7am to 11am on 92.7 Big Fm Bengaluru. She is a rare combination of compassion and creativity. When the world treated radio as a “music machine” she decided to go the extra mile and spread awareness on menstrual hygiene and distributed 3 lakh sanitary pads to the lesser privileged.

Her visit to the Siachen border meeting jawans and reading out letters from all the unknown yet grateful hearts was not a radio requirement but what her soul craved. She became Santa and created a toy room for an underprivileged school and filled it up with cycles to board games to stuffed toys. She reached out to the flood-affected areas in North Karnataka, especially to Kudchi a neglected village and in-person handed relief materials to them.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shruthi927


Interviewed By Pratibha Sahani