Interview: RJ Kartik gets candid as he becomes the most followed RJ on Facebook

94.3 MY FM is a popular radio channel with listeners that tune in from all over the country. One of its most famous radio jockeys is RJ Kartik. We’re sure you’re not unknown to the name as he is the most followed RJ on Facebook! And why not, his short motivational stories are a delight to listen to!

RJ Kartik has been in the business for almost a decade now, and although he’s gained a lot of fame over the years, he’s still one of the most humble people you’ll encounter. We had the opportunity to interview him on the occasion of him becoming the most followed RJ on Facebook in India. Read on to know more about his journey, his future endeavors, and much more!

Interview with RJ Kartik of MY FM

• How do you feel about being the most followed Indian RJ on Facebook?

I feel honored, humbled, and special. People have showered me with so much love, and it has all happened because of my motivational stories that I put out every Monday morning at 9.30 am on Facebook.

• What do you think was the key factor that brought home this big achievement? Had you ever imagined that your motivational stories would become so big?

When I had first started with my motivational stories, I didn’t used to get a lot of views. Then one day I uploaded a video that had the caption that said “Aapka bhi time kharab chal raha hai toh ye dekhe” and it got more than 15 millon views. Once this video went viral, the other stories that were previously uploaded on the page and had 2-3k views, started being watched too. Every video’s viewer count shot up to millions. So, after the success of that one video, everything changed. Since then, no matter where I am, be it the most remote of locations, I always make sure to upload a story every Monday at 9.30 am. I try to convert people’s Monday Blues to something more positive. The viewer count on my page overall is 250 million+, and one of the key factors for that is the consistency that I try to maintain, and the conviction with which I present them. Also, I have a tag line that I say at the end of every video which has clicked with the audience and that is, ‘Kar Dikhao Kuch Aisa Ke Duniya Karna Chahe Tumhare Jaisa’.

• You’ve been one of the oldest players in this field of radio jockeying; what would you say has changed in the kind of content people consumed back then and now?

I started my internship here in 2009, and back then people used to think that being a RJ meant cracking a lot of jokes, making people laugh and being upbeat all the time. That’s why the RJs also used to act the part. It was only later when this changed and people realized that it’s not just about talking loudly all the time, it can be done calmly too. Secondly, now you won’t see RJs trying to just make you laugh constantly, they will also talk about things that will force you to think. That was also when we thought of entering with our storytelling format on the digital platforms to increase the reach; none of the other radio stations had really tapped into this area at that time –they had done health and fitness shows, music shows etc. but no one had done a motivational show. And looking at the current scenario where people are so stressed, sometimes they just need to hear from someone that they have potential to do a lot more in life –and that is the motivation we try to provide with our stories.

• Your stories are always packed with a message and are short-form, i.e., they are wrapped up in 3-4 minutes. How do you manage to make every story different and interesting?

In today’s time, no one has a lot of time to listen to long stories, so I thought short-form would be best. I also make sure that the language I use is in sync with the one that today’s generation uses, even though some of the stories are old Panchatantra tales or really spiritual ones; I do not use any words that the audience might not understand. Also, I believe that if I can convey my story and my message in 3 minutes, why talk for half an hour.

• On Instagram, your stories are posted in the 1 minute format where you tell the entire tale in just a minute. How do you make stories that are already really short even more concise? How do you decide what to edit?

Firstly, when I come down to the 1 minute format, I try to eliminate a few sub-plots that can be done without. Secondly, usually when a story is told, the characters are introduced one by one and then the plot is built up. I introduce all of them together and then get straight to the point.

• Now that IGTV has come in, long form videos can be uploaded on Instagram as well. Do you plan on venturing into IGTV as well?

If ever there are stories that I’m not able to squeeze into the 1 minute format, then I’ll definitely upload them on IGTV. There have been some that I couldn’t narrate in a minute, I posted them as a series on Instagram. You can only shorten it as much as the value of content allows you. It wouldn’t make sense if I cut short important parts and the story loses its essence.

• Lastly, what are your future plans with MY FM and what new can your listeners expect from you?

We are going to continue with our motivational stories obviously, with that we are also thinking of having various personalities on our show and doing short form interviews with them to know their stories, so that people can also draw inspiration from real life tales. We also plan on giving them more stuff related to ‘reality’ like the ‘How’s The Josh?’ bit that I did during Uri.

Quick Five:

• What is that one page that you religiously follow on Facebook?

These days, all the cricket pages due to World Cup.

• Any funny comment that you remember from a fan.

I can’t recall funny, but this one time, there was a fan that said ‘I love you’ and proposed to me while the live show was on! I was just glad it was love and not hate!

• One tip to deal with trollers.

My motto is, ‘Life goes on. So just keep doing honest work and ignore the hateful comments that come your way.’

• Any celebrity that you follow on social media and are a fan of.

Shahid Kapoor.

• Another RJ whose work you really like.

RJ Siddhu from Mumbai. He was the one that made me want to be an RJ.

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