So at 5 a.m on Thursday, his crystal clear voice breaks the stillness of dawn. And there’s already a line-up of well-wishers vying for airtime with their favourite RJ. Cheerily, he connects with them with his trademark “Ha hai”, remembering little details of the callers and their emails.
There’s not a trace of edginess in his voice. In fact, when MetroPlus caught up with the radio-active Dheena a day before his talkathon, he simply tossed all doubts aside. “I’m confident,” he asserted, with a grin. And knowing Dheena’s earlier record (he pulled off a Limca feat by hosting shows non-stop for 92.7 hours last August), you know he’s got reason to smile.
All said, it’s a big leap — from 92.7 to 150 hours. But Dheena doesn’t flinch, “I’m mentally and physically prepared. I’ve done a complete health check-up and I’ll be following a diet chart throughout the stipulated period. I’ve upped my fluid intake, and I’ve been asked to eat small quantities every two hours so that my energy level doesn’t drop. I’ve always followed a diet and exercise pattern. I’m a vegetarian and a teetotaller. I do yoga too, besides workouts. The biggest challenge however, would be to stifle sleep. Imagine staying awake for so many days! But I hope to overcome that with yoganitra. Guinness allows five minutes rest every hour. It can be accumulated for upto 12 hours. Usually, I sleep for about four to five hours a day. I’m up by 4.30 in the morning. Immediately, I start cleaning my house. That’s the best way to shake off sleep!” he said in typical “Speed” style.
The breakfast chatterbox (BIG Vannakkam) who becomes your Sunday pal (Best of BIG Vanakkam) is a news junkie, social commentator and satirist. “Radio jockeys can’t move political agendas — but surely, we can make a difference. It’s a very intimate medium. You connect directly with the listeners. So we make an effort to mix substance with satire. It doesn’t work if you get preachy. I observe things around me. I read, surf the Net and the television channels. With experience, you can zero in on topics that instantly strike a chord with the listeners,” said the Mechanical Engineer-turned RJ, who can talk about pot holes and take pot shots at politicians — all in the same breath.
Return of the radio
About the return of the radio in the past few years, he said, “To me, it’s not radio blah blah. Radio reflects the city. It’s a recall medium, but it’s also a random medium. People may be hearing the radio playing in the background. But they may not be listening. There’s a difference between hearing and listening. You have to read so much to sift the essence for one minute! I feel RJs have a social responsibility that goes beyond entertainment. And you can’t fake concern. That’s one of my strong points too. I’m an emotional guy. I can be hysterically funny or deadpan serious. But what I speak comes straight from my heart.”
Though a qualified engineer, Dheena’s heart gravitated towards mimicry. “I couldn’t see myself doing quality checks,” he intoned, his voice competing with the clickety-click of our photographer. “I did the rounds with music troupes, doing mimicry interludes, till the headhunt for Sun Network’s Suryan FM happened.” With his unvarnished voice, tattletales and lightning wit, Dheena’s journey began. “Though it gave me a good standing in the industry, it was a BIG leap for me –from Suryan to my current work. I’ve evolved with BIG.
It believes in investing in RJs. There’s a huge difference between investing and spending. We attend workshops, hone our voice and our skill. Sometime later, I want to become a trainer for RJs.”
“Blade” Dheena, “Speed” Dheena or “BIG” Dheena (as he wishes to be called now) has come a long way on the airwaves. Pushing his straightened hair back, he concludes, “The prefixes change, but Dheena remains the same. The same, simple guy, who came from Salem to the city, hardly sensing success in the air!”
BIG FEAT
• Dheena’s current Guinness attempt spans six days of live RJ-ing (non-stop from August 21 to August 26)
• The existing Guinness record by Italian Stefano Venneri is for 135 hours. Dheena hopes to accomplish 150 hours.
• He can take five minutes rest every hour — which can also be accumulated for 12 hours.
• The programme has been well-formatted. On-ground connect will be provided by other RJs from BIG. There will be interactive sessions and celebs too will join in to wish Dheena.
• Observers will take turns and watch the RJ perform. You can even log on to BIG 92.7 website for live videos and regular updates.
FEAT ACCOMPLI
In August 2007, Dheena hosted shows non-stop for 92 hours and seven minutes.
This won him a Limca Book of Records entry.
JUKE BOX
Dheena’s all-time playlist:
‘Vellai Pookal’ (“Kannathil Muthamittal”)
‘New York Nagaram’ (“Sillinu Oru Kadhal”)
‘Theneeril Snegitham’ (“Subramaniyapuram”)
‘Ilangaatru Veesudhae’ ("Pithamagan")
’ Raamanin Mohanam’ (“Netrikann”)
Courtesy: Hindu
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