RJ Mantra: An unhappy soul?

Those who bring a smile on many a faces often seek true happiness themselves. Noted Radio Jockey Mantra is one such unhappy entertainer. When you're adjudicated as the best in your craft, have a production company (theatre) of your own, get to anchor a comedy show on tv; then what is it that Mantra is unhappy about? When asked is he at peace with himself, Mantra gives a philosophical reply. "I'm not a peace with my surroundings. With that being the case, it means that I'm not looking inside me. It's time that I indulge into some serious soul searching." So, what is it in the surroundings that agitate him? It's the state of the Indian television industry that irks Mantra the most. And, foremost among it is our telly saas and bahus who Mantra reckons have a more negative influence than his on-the-edge comedy show. "These saas-bahu shows are destroying the basic fabric of Indian society. We have shows where a man is having three wives, 25 children. Surprisingly, our viewers are watching any s**t that's being doled out to them," says Mantra. Talk of our news channels and they evoke a hyper response from him. Mantra chides, "Our news channels need to improve the most. It really irritates me when I get up early in the morning and the first thing that I see is crime. These channels always crib about why crime is on the rise but not once do they ponder that they themselves are giving birth to criminals." He adds further, "When there's a bomb blast, you'll find these guys telling the world exactly how it took place and some of them even follow it up with methods involved in making a bomb. One who has a criminal mind needn't go anywhere to learn these means of destruction." Just like crime, vulgar and obscene content too is corrupting the minds of television viewers. Mantra's comedy show Lagegi is one that thrives on hitting below the belt. So, is he party to the crime as well? "I don't deny that our show is crossing the line. In fact, I can't watch it in front of my parents. On camera, I wouldn't say anything which I myself wouldn't be comfortable with. In Lagegi, we aren't creating anything new; we are just speaking the language of the people," confesses Mantra. As a goody-goody RJ, Mantra has developed a bond with his listeners, who truly will be shocked to see him speaking a complete different language in Lagegi. Isn't he worried that it can tarnish his reputation? "No doubt viewers will be surprised to see this side of me. However, when a legend like Amitabh Bachchan is being crucified for being a farmer, who am I in front of him? Similarly, the media targets Salmaan Khan for one bad deed but no one gives consideration to the fact that he does a lot of good work. Mahatma Gandhi too has become a subject of joke for us. Compared to these great human beings, main to ek tuchh prani hoon" quips the Lagegi host. After crime, obscenity, the next in line of Mantra's fire are our countless reality shows. The RJ feels that these reality shows were never part of Indian think tank. Indians are blindly following the west. The picture has become so bad that any Tom, Dick and Harry is shooting to fame with these shows. Also, it hurts Mantra that its takes a reality show to tap a supreme talent like Raju Srivastav, who was struggling in the industry for years. After taking a dig at the media, Mantra now moves towards the civic administration. "We at Red FM have always highlighted different points to a particular calamity. For instance, Alistair Pereira gets three years jail for running over seven people but no one questioned as to why the victims were sleeping on the footpath in the first place. Are we that bad a country where our people have to sleep on the roads? Isn't it the municipal corporation's responsibility to ensure that no one sleeps on the road?" remarked Mantra. As one who worries about the world, Mantra definitely needs a partner who can calm his nerves. So, is there such a girl in his life? "Well, I haven't found anyone as yet. For me, my life partner will also be my best friend. But right now, my best friend is a man," he giggles. Should one read too much into it?