RJ Anuj turns singer with Magadheera

MUMBAI: He is defined by multi-tasking. RJing, VJing, acting and now singing - RJ Anuj has changed many tracks.

The Hyderabad based Anuj recently debuted as a playback singer for musician M M Kreem’s compositions. “I have sung for the Telugu film, Magadheera starring Ram Charan Teja, son of filmstar Chiranjeevi.” I started my radio career at All India Radio and now I gave an interview on AIR for my new song. I have come full circle, it seems,” he says enthusiastically.

RJ Anuj or ‘Recharge’ as he is popularly known in Hyderabad, kickstarted his career with All India Radio in 2005 where he hosted music based shows on Yuvavani. He then leaped to Radio Biryani, a private radio program setup that aired on the AIR frequency. In 2006, Anuj became a VJ with SS Music. Shortly after that, he joined Radio City in 2006 where he hosted the evening show “Recharge” and even the morning show, before calling it quits in 2008 when the station shifted its language mix to suit the regional flavour.

Anuj has also acted in films which include Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘Hyderabad Blues 2: Rearranged Marriage’ and ‘Anand’ which released in 2004. This year, Anuj also became a part of India's first ever play station 2 game, Hanuman, as the voice of Hanuman in Hindi and English.

Talking about the FM industry, Anuj says, “Radio is the only medium where you can have a personal connect with the audience.” “Radio industry has reached a point where it sounds cool to say I am an RJ. But radio is much more than that. The infotainment comes with a responsibility. An RJ should add intellectual value to the listeners who call him and give in their precious time to the station,” he adds candidly.

Talking about the language barrier, Anuj says, “Even though I am a Punjabi, I have always stayed in Hyderabad. I am familiar with the language hence it wasn’t a hitch singing in Telugu. Today most of the singers dabble with various languages. It broadens their horizon.” He further adds, “I always had a flair for music but have been trained only by ear. Formal training is essential and helps you a lot in the long way. My lack of training does limit me.”

Talking about his stint in AIR and comparing it to the private stations, Anuj says, “AIR has its own