Nalia , located in Gujarat , on the India – Pakistan border. Fierce climatic conditions see severe winters. Villages in India in the 80’s did not have a wide exposure to Televisions and economic conditions did not permit for every household to have televisions. The next best mode of entertainment was Radio. Vinod as a child would love to hear the radio and amused by this mode, that not just entertained but gave information and news. He loved to hear the Mahabarata that was aired then. Heart of heart he too wanted to be on Radio when he grew up. Destiny has its ways of showing you the route but it’s for every individual to work towards it.
A family into business had their downturn when business went down and had to shut shop after his grandfather’s death. Hand to mouth existence, it was not easy to meet the requirements of two square decent meals. His mother did menial jobs to keep the house running with basic requirements. Neighbours were generous with food, clothes or books which were hand me downs used by Vinod . Many times, intimated by the better fortune of other kids, he went on as there was really no choice. His sister gave up her education so that her brother could continue. Luckily, he went to an hostel in the later years where many expenses were paid for.
His priority was to improve the financial condition of his family and he begun working. First at a newspaper ( Bhoomi) , subsequently odd jobs on commission. Educated himself on computers that fetched extra income. He ensured he send money back home to his parents, keeping just the basic for his day to day needs. He is very close to his sister and ensures he is always there for her as a brother. Schooling from Navanagar Government School, he completed his graduation ( BCom) from V M Mehta Commerce and Arts college Jamnagar besides a Certificate course in Computer Science. As a kid he was fascinated by the world of science and at some point also wanted to be a Scientist. Laboratory experiments gave him thrills and when they went wrong there were medical bills!
Amin Sahani was a voice on Air that touched many hearts. Super star Amitabh Bachchan and Harish Bhimani inspired him. He started voice overs for known personalities and many well-known projects. Influenced by the cinema, he had his favourites in actors and singers – Aishwarya Rai, Jaya Prada, Raj Kapoor , Dharmendra and singers like Mukesh.
Having come from very humble and tough beginnings, his concern for the less fortunate was always there. He is associated with the Robinhood Army for three years. Robinhood Army is a channel that helps with food distribution for the poor. Vinod is not one who would not propagate his social work for personal benefit.
In the future he certainly sees himself involved with news channels, film dubbing, voice overs for cartoon serials etc. the next step as it were from where he stands today. He enjoys doing mimicry of stars like Mithoon , Amitabh, Dharmendra besides anchoring of news when he was in hostel during his college days. Media was his goal after Radio. He never shirked any kind of job. During his tenure with Bhoomi newspaper as a typist he learnt how to script crime news and articles. This gave him confidence to pursue Journalism from Hirani College in Rajkot. Managing multiple jobs with college was routine for him. Nothing could stop this young lad from achieving his goal. In the last year at Journalism school he laded a lob as an RJ , but not without getting rejected many times.
An opportunity to script a running news opened another door and he was selected from amongst 30 aspirants having done a good job on the script. A trainee for two years and then landing solo shows was indeed a milestone. He was now RJ Vinod. It is said life teaches you every day every moment. Experiences is what one has to treasure. Vinod , during his hostel days used to unlock the phone and dial numbers. At times it would end up a wrong number with a stranger on the line. He would make it a joke and play a prank on them. This format is what he used as an RJ and his show called “ Prank Caller – Mamu Banaya RJ Vinod”. It became an instant hit.
We have been taught by our parents, elders and teachers that there are no shortcuts in life. Take the staircase not the escalator as working hard towards your goal is the aim. Not having command over the English language did not deter RJ Vinod. He worked on it and made it a point to excel in the language he mastered. Not knowing a particular language should not dissuade you to work toward the target. Hard work and practice is the key, as he did on his pronunciations – day and night.
Being recognised with awards, reaching national levels and conducting government events with well knows celebrities, running an election campaign on Radio , creating awareness on various issues gave his confidence to march ahead . He was a person who worked for 18-20 hours with minimum sleep and with absolutely no personal indulgences. He just had to achieve his goal and, in the process, set an example for others to follow – There is no replacement for hard work!
nice presentation