Special Report
Reality comes to Radio
Picture this: D-day is set.The trousseau finalised. Guests invited, food and music taken care off, and yes the local FM station and radio jockeys have confirmed their presence.You got that right. If the latest trends in radio programming are to be believed, reality could well be inching its way from television towards radio.
Radio Mirchi experimented with the reality format when it invited couples in the city to send in their entries so that the FM station could be part of their big day. Mirchi Haain Baraati had the listener tuned into all the tips and trends one needs to know to make the ceremony a special event. But the highlight of the show was the on air wedding.
Mirchi decided to cash in on the wedding season frenzy and invited one lucky couple to tie the knot “on air”. The station shadowed the couple as they went shopping, drew up guest lists and shared all the joys and anxieties with its listeners.
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Wedded to reality : Mirchi Hain Baarati contest
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Radio Mirchi vice president and regional head programming Riya Mukherjee is excited as she talks about this new format. But she is wary of calling it ‘reality radio‘ and prefers the term ‘participatory radio‘. Obviously referring to the slew of ‘bare all‘ reality television shows she says, ‘As a radio station, Mirchi doesn‘t endorse invading into people‘s privacy or the hidden camera approach. As long as it is with the consent of the people involved it is perfectly viable to do this kind of participatory radio.‘
Purists may take offence to the term ‘reality radio‘, which hasn‘t really been coined or bandied about, at least in the Indian context. To put things into perspective let‘s begin with what is reality television before switching to a wholly different medium.
Reality television programming or non-scripted programmes comprise reality TV entertainment, game shows and talent shows where the main events within the programme are not pre-determined by writers and producers but are the result of actual events happening during the show.
Television producers first started looking at reality shows as an alternate means of programming which would be cost effective as they are based on ‘real‘ people in ‘real‘ circumstances. No scriptwriters, no paid actors or extravagant sets and the plot thickens as viewers can alter the course of the show with votes through calls and text messages.
In terms of a programming innovation, television networks lapped it up. Reality entertainment like dance shows, talent hunts and game shows ruled across channels.
Reality on radio though is a different ball game. Partly because of the nature of the medium, the first refrain one is likely to hear is ‘But all of radio is reality‘. Red FM COO Abraham Thomas laughs and takes a long pause before he decides to tackle the issue. “Radio is not scripted. So in that sense most of radio is reality. If it is about a RJ hunt, campus hunt or a Children‘s day special with a kid RJ hunt then yes, the concept of reality in radio is catching up. What make shows like American Idol or Indian Idol interesting are the judges trading insults, shocked expressions, participants crying in despair or relief. Now that‘s a challenge for radio to emulate. So if we can capture the full essence of a reaction on radio, we would be open to it.”
Radio City programming head Vikas Varma adds, “A show like Bigg Boss works great on TV, however on radio the same format transplanted would not work. It would need to be heavily modified and simplified. Having said that, the basic hook of Bigg Boss is very strong, using that hook as the seed and planting it in the fertile soil of radio would create a new plant called ‘radio ka big boss‘.
While reality hunts are used by FM stations to make auditions for its RJs more interactive, reality challenges are now creating a buzz. Radio One 94.3 FM had its Mumbai RJ Jaggu take up a weight loss reality challenge on air. The idea was a promotion pitch for Saffola Gold called Mission 10k where Jaggu would have to lose 10 kgs within a span of 3 months. Since Jaggu along with Tarana hosts the morning segment, daily updates on his challenge were available to listeners. Jaggu also maintained a print diary of sorts on his column in the daily Mid-Day.
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Weight Watchers on Radio One 94.3FM
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The highs and lows of his weight loss programme were followed by listeners who could call in to share their own experiences or goad him on to his rather strict diet. Lapses on his part were analysed and criticized.
Similarly, Red FM RJ Malishka threw the perennially crowded Mumbai city a challenge when she asked the listeners to travel in a packed Virar-train at peak hours and get off at Andheri station. The radio production crew waited at the station to capture the emotions of those who completed the task.
But is reality radio limited to promotional campaigns and gauntlets thrown out by radio jockeys? “I think this is just the tip of the ‘reality ice-berg‘. Reality formats are not only about contests or do-and-dare or reporting live from an event. The art of creating good reality radio is about creating a story out of reality that plays itself out without a script and the end cannot be easily predicted. Its main hook should be the emotional connect with the listener,” says Varma.
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Out of studio: Red RJ Nitin takes a spin on Delhi roads
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Mirchi‘s Mukherjee endorses the view that radio jockeys are the real stars on radio. “Today it is easy to touch the star called RJ. You can meet him, invite him home or share a cup of tea. But if you look at the Mirchi Haain Baarati format, the radio jock was just an anchor or a stringer of events. The real focus was on the couple Gaurav and Priya.”
Big 92.7 FM decided to stretch the concept a little further when it launched ‘Big Break‘, the first of its kind Bollywood reality hunt on radio.
Big FM national creative director Vishal Mull asserts, “Big FM decided to go the reality way with two new concepts – Big Break and Nakli No.1. Big Break invites applications nationally for the next hero in a Bollywood movie called ‘Who will be Shekhar‘, the station will track the chosen hero through the making of the movie. No identities will be revealed until the completion of the movie. The idea is to create a mystery and drama around the lead of the film and capture this on air. Little snippets about the ‘hero‘ will be revealed to whet the listener‘s appetite.”
Of course, this ensures a sizeable buzz around the film as well. With judges like Raj Kumar Santoshi, Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Basu and Ajay Devgan, a mystery ‘lead actor‘, highs and lows of making a movie reported right from the sets and an unknown character catapulted to stardom – what could be a better recipe for reality radio.
So what is holding back radio stations from exploring this format further?
Most of the programming heads we spoke to want to play it safe and make sure that the programming doesn‘t take away from the music. While Radio One vice president programming and brand Vishnu Athreya is doubtful about the medium‘s ability to catch the finer nuances of reality shows he also agrees that if a particular situation is tweaked to suit the demands of the medium, reality on radio can be explored. “Currently, most radio stations focus on music as their key driver. Also packaged radio is an alien concept. By that yardstick, everything on radio is real,” he says.
Red FM‘s Thomas concurs, “Today radio is a music driven entertainment proposition in India.” That pretty much sums up why most radio stations flirt with this format but are not willing to go the whole hog just yet. But with reality television in India having come of age this is a success formula too tempting to pass up.
Meanwhile …. who wants to hear Big Boss go on air?
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INDUSTRY SPEAK Radio City programming head Vikas Varma – I strongly believe that one of the way forward in creating great entertainment on radio will be ‘reality radio‘. This needs to be created in context of the radio medium and not be transplanted directly from TV. Red FM COO, Abraham Thomas – If we can make it relevant to the medium, reality on radio can work. Radio One, vice president programming and brand Vishnu Athreya Shows need to be structured to suit the radio medium. Unlike television, where a special segment can be created, in the case of radio, circumstances will have to be tweaked to fit the audio medium. Radio Mirchi vice president and regional head programming Riya Mukherjee – All you require is a portable audio instrument or a recorder and you can have an interaction right outside the studio. In that sense, working on a reality radio format requires lot less in terms of production and costs. Big FM national creative director Vishal Mull – It is difficult to create personalities on radio but reality in radio is a strong possibility if we can manage to convert visual imagery into interesting audio formats. |
MUMBAI: Some friendships are made in heaven; others are coded in Mumbai. Hamara Vinayak, the first-ever digital original from Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s Swastik Stories, turns the divine into the delightful, serving up a story that’s equal parts start-up hustle and spiritual hustle.
Some tech start-ups chase unicorns. This one already has a god on board. Hamara Vinayak takes the leap from temple bells to notification pings and it does so with heart, humour and a healthy dose of the divine.
At its core, the show asks a simple but audacious question: what if God wasn’t up there, but right beside you, maybe even debugging your life over a cup of chai?
The show’s tagline, “God isn’t distant… He’s your closest friend” perfectly captures its quirky soul. Across its first two episodes, screened exclusively for media in Mumbai, the series proves that enlightenment can come with a good punchline.
The series follows a group of ambitious young entrepreneurs running a Mumbai-based tech start-up that lets people around the world book exclusive virtual poojas at India’s most revered shrines. But as their app grows, so do their ethical grey zones. Into this chaos walks Vinayak, played with soulful serenity and sly wit by the charming Namit Das, a young man whose calm smile hides something celestial.
He’s got the peaceful look of a saint but the wit of someone who could out-think your favourite stand-up comic. Around him spins a crew of dream-driven youngsters – Luv Vispute, Arnav Bhasin, Vaidehi Nair and Saloni Daini who run a Mumbai-based tech start-up offering devotees across the world the chance to book “exclusive” poojas at India’s most sacred shrines. It’s a business plan that blends belief and broadband – and, as the story unfolds, also tests the moral compass of its ambitious founders.
“The first time I read the script, I found the character very pretty,” Namit joked at the post-screening interaction. “It’s a beautiful thought that God isn’t distant, he’s your closest friend. And playing Vinayak, you feel that calm but also his cleverness. He’s the friend who makes you think.”
The reactions to the series ranged from smiles to sighs of wonder. Viewers were charmed by the show’s sincerity and sparkle, a quality that stems from its creator’s belief that faith can be funny without being frivolous.
Among the cast, Luv Vispute shines brightest, his comic timing adding sparkle to the show’s more reflective beats. But what keeps Hamara Vinayak engaging is the easy rhythm of its writing – one moment touching, the next teasing, always gently reminding us that spirituality doesn’t have to be solemn.
Luv spoke fondly of his long association with Swastik. “Since my first show was with Swastik, this feels like home,” he said. “Every project with them is positive, feel-good, and this one just had such a different vibe. I truly feel blessed.”
Saloni Daini, who brings infectious warmth to her role, added that she signed up the moment she heard the show was about “Bappa.”
“We shot during the Ganpati festival,” she recalled. “The energy on set was incredible festive, faithful, and full of laughter. It’s such a relatable story for our generation: chaos, friendship, love, kindness, and faith all mixed together.”
Vaidehi Nair and Arnav Bhasin complete the ensemble, each representing different shades of ambition and morality in the start-up’s journey. Their camaraderie is easy and believable, a testament to how much the cast connected off-screen as well.
This clever fusion of mythology and modernity plays to India’s two enduring loves, entertainment and faith. Mythology has long been the comfort zone of Indian storytellers, from the televised epics of the 1980s to the glossy remakes that still command prime-time TRPs. For decades, gods have been our most bankable heroes. But Hamara Vinayak tweaks the formula not by preaching, but by laughing with its characters, and sometimes, at their confusion about where divinity ends and data begins.
Creator Siddharth Kumar Tewary, long hailed as Indian television’s myth-maker for shows like Mahabharat, Radha Krishn and Porus, explained the show’s intent with characteristic clarity, “This is our first story where we are talking directly to the audience, not through a platform,” he said. “We wanted to connect young people with our culture to say that God isn’t someone you only worship; He’s your friend, walking beside you, even when you take the wrong path. The story may be simple, but the thought is big.”
That blend of philosophy and playfulness runs through the show. “We had to keep asking ourselves why we’re doing this,” Tewary added. “It’s tricky to make something positive and spiritual for the OTT audience, they’ve changed, they want nuance, not sermons. But when the purpose is clear, everything else aligns.”
For the creator of some of Indian TV’s most lavish spectacles, Hamara Vinayak marks a refreshing tonal shift. Here, Tewary trades celestial kingdoms for co-working spaces and cosmic battles for office banter. Yet his signature remains: an eye for allegory, a love for faith-infused storytelling, and an understanding that belief is most powerful when it feels personal.
Hamara Vinayak, after all, feels less like a sermon and more like a conversation over chai about what success means, what faith costs, and why even the gods might be rooting for a start-up’s Series A round.
As Namit Das reflected during the Q&A, “Life gives us many magical, divine moments we just forget to notice them. Sometimes even through a phone screen, you see something that redirects you. That’s a Vinayak moment.”
The series also mirrors a larger cultural pivot. As audiences migrate from television to OTT, myth-inspired tales are finding new form and flexibility online. The digital screen lets creators like Tewary reinvent the genre, giving ancient ideas a modern interface, without losing the emotional charge that’s made mythology India’s storytelling backbone for decades.
In a country where faith trends faster than any hashtag, Hamara Vinayak feels both familiar and refreshingly new, a comedy that’s blessed with heart, humour and just enough philosophy to keep the binge holy.
For a country where mythology remains the oldest streaming service, Tewary’s move from TV to OTT feels both natural and necessary. Indian storytellers have always turned to gods for drama, guidance and TRPs from Ramayan and Mahabharat on Doordarshan to glossy mytho-dramas on prime time. But digital platforms allow creators to remix reverence with realism, and in Hamara Vinayak, faith gets an interface upgrade.
The result is a show that feels like a warm chat with destiny, part comedy, part contemplation. And in an age of cynicism, that’s no small miracle.
As Tewary put it, smiling at his cast, “The message had to be positive. We just wanted to remind people that even in chaos, God hasn’t unfriended you.”
With 5 episodes planned, Hamara Vinayak promises to keep walking that fine line between laughter and light. It’s mythology with memes, devotion with dialogue, and a digital-age reminder that even the cloud has a silver lining or perhaps, a divine one.
If the first two episodes are any sign, the show doesn’t just bridge heaven and earth, it gives both a Wi-Fi connection.
