Life is best spent when you don’t count days: RJ Raj

It is said that a Radio Jockey should be able to create bond with the listeners, should be friendly, spontaneous with new ideas and concepts which should be bubbling with enthusiasm. Rj Raj has these qualities with which he has been working in this field for quite some time.

Rj Raj is multi-talented person who is Radio Jockey, a creative writer and now a film maker. He says that his journey from being an RJ to a film maker had been due to beautiful accidents. “If these accidents would not happen I would have been a waiter in a less known hotel where people eat less speak more.When did I begin, even I don’t know. I was just lucky and got here by chance. My friend was crazy over radio stations and had also won some air shows too. So one day he took me with him so that he could collect his gift. He was so fascinated by Radio jockeys and the way of life they live, so he dropped his resume to the station with mine. I got selected and he was rejected”. He says.

“I felt complete when I write. But writer in me was explored and made to use by my friend Praveen Shriyan. He asked me to write concepts for our ads. Even though Ididn’t know much on writing, I felt it was challenging. Hence I started writing and it slowly than lead me into film making” he said.

In the initial stage when he started he was preachy.“I was preachy in my initial works. I made Sumne Namagyake and I tried to tell about accident. Made 5 letters another short film, touched the issue on drug abuse. But those were my initail days. When you start working you want to tell man things through your work. My work speaks, but it speaks the language of the audience. He is only told what he wants to listen” he said.

RJ Raj has received his training for Radio Jocking from Gointothestory.blcklist.com and Screenwritingfromiowa, where he spent hours, practicing harder with dedication so that he could become better at his work. He learnt Film making, through internet, through watching great cinemas and producing ads for mystery box studious. As for writing he says “the best way to learn writing is to start writing and keep writing”.

RJ Raj has Won best director for 5 letters in Daiji world short film festival and also won best film for the same festival in Namma tv short film festival when asked what genre of film making he is into he said “I don’t focus on a genre to make a film. Story must select the maker. Maker must not select a story. A story must evolve within you, must haunt your attention, must drive crazy and you must not have a way but to make it.”For him OMK-Ondu Motteya Kathe is the most memorable project till now. OMK is a kannada cinema produced by Suhan Prasad through Mango pickle entertainment and is directed by him.

He dreams of making a movie on Tulunadu Daiva as a prominent character. Apart from being Rj, writer and film maker RJ Raj enjoys everything that the life has to offer him. He likes spending time with dogs and tries to find everything in life interesting. “In life nothing bores me” he said

He loves learning and taking on new challenges. “I loved taking challenges, Every time I changed my profession from being a RJ to a writer or film maker, I was eager on the challenges that I am going to face. I was enthusiastic and I wanted to face it. So it has been rewarding” he said.

To live as consciously as possible. Not just to breathe is what RJ believes in. he described himself to be crazy for him Life is one crazy ride, he says that one should just believe and try to give his best. Accept everything and fight hard and finally should Love life. He loves his work because it does not bore him for him everything he does makes him feel more alive. “As a creative person working in big FM was the toughest part of my life, and most rewarding too. Those memories are brutal and enriching” he says.

For him challenging is the fear of not knowing and hiding it from the people who see his work made me to go distance. Though this was challenging it was inspiring. Even now he says he I tries to hide his ignorance and he works more. At the end he says “Artist has a life where mistakes are counted as learning  So he has nothing to regret. So I too have a very regret less life. Happy and complete. I wish him good luck and hope many who want to join the same field get inspired by his story.

Photography courtesy: RJ RAJ

 Text: Sunny Fernandes