The front lawn of Diggi Palace was almost packed. The crowd was ready to sit on the grass. They knew that when Neelesh Misra would begin, it would be all worth it. Jigyasu Joshi caught up with him for a tête-e-tete
When media planners thought storytelling had lost its edge for a generation that had ceased to imagine, Neelesh Misra proved the fault lay with the communicators, as he became a Pied Piper virtually every night, drawing varied listeners at prime time to his radio show Yaad Sheher. When media planners propounded that there is hardly any demand for a rural newspaper, Neelesh founded Gaon Connection, India’s only rural newspaper with distribution in 40 districts of Uttar Pradesh. like the punchline of his show, Neelesh, who grew up in Nainital and lucknow, carries a small town in his heart and likes to flaunt it.
Talking about how the festivals like JlF helps the young writers to grow, he said, “These festivals are a great platform provider for both audience and the writers. Especially the young writers can learn a through these festivals. However, it is very important for these festivals to keep its worth by not getting much fancy as they might lose its shine while doing that.”
Journalist, scriptwriter and lyricist Neelesh Misra dons many hats. And now as a radio jockey, he hopes to revive the traditional storytelling culture, which he says has faded into oblivion due to technology. Misra has returned as a storyteller for his new show on the radio.
“Traditional storytelling did not stand a chance on its own. I’m fortunate enough that through this show I’ve had the platform to recreate a modern form of storytelling by interspersing stories and music that will revive this lost art that people are still interested in,” Misra told.
He laments the lost charm of storytelling.
“Storytelling has always been a part of the rich cultural tradition in India. The art of imparting good values and spreading beliefs through the means of storytelling has existed from time immemorial, in almost all ancient civilisations of the world.
“India is no exception to this culture. But it’s very unfortunate to know that this culture is fading with the increasing science and technology. With the passage of time and development, people have found other forms of entertainment like television, films and more,” he added.
His radio show is based in a fictional town named Yaad Sheher.
Born and brought up in Nainital, the multi-faceted Misra reveals he developed multiple aspirations while growing up — the reason why he dabbles in so many things at a time.
“It was these dreams that led me to become a singer, copywriter and theatre personality at the same time. Being a journalist has always been my passion and this has served as a foothold for my vast experiences at various junctures of my life,” he said.
“Having pursued an unconventional career, my natural flair for writing and my mantra to do adventurous things enabled me write stories in various formats, be it orally or through my lyrics,” Misra added.
As a lyricist, Misra has to his credit songs like Jaadu hai nasha hai from Jism , I love you from Bodyguard, Banjaara from Ek Tha Tiger,Kyon from Barfi! andZindagi from Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
He has also co-written the script of this year’s blockbuster Ek Tha Tiger, along with director Kabir Khan.
“Writing was something that came naturally to me, be it in journalism or as a scriptwriter. Penning my thoughts down and not restricting it has helped me immensely in my stories. I have made it a point in life not to set limitations on my thoughts, ideas and opinions and believe it should flow free,” said Misra, who was deputy executive editor of a newspaper publication.
Also running a newspaper, dedicated to the Indian villages, is one of his best things he said he has done in all his career. “In an era where India's media industry concentrates on the urban concerns, Gaon Connection strives to give rural citizens a voice of their own,” he said.