Nupur Kohli’s lilting voice, a trademark of her very popular Radio show Jhankar is hardly new to most New Englanders. Her unusual cadence is friendly to the ear and portrays an easy charm that has endeared her to many of her listeners. She possesses genuine radio talent and her authentic enthusiasm and strong intuition have sustained her show for over 18 years.

A unique, pioneering, and potent presence in contemporary Indian American radio broadcast, Ms. Kohli started hosting the show when she was barely into her teens. “Radio is and will be my passion,” she laughs breezily. Listeners and patrons of Jhankar have seen her grow up and earn a reputation for integrity within the broadcast industry. She is very proud, and deservedly so, of Jhankar, and urges all to check out the new and revamped web page www.jhankar.com. Packed with entertainment, enjoyable little tidbits, the fresh look and feel of the site will appeal to browsers of all ages. “It will entertain people all over the world,” says Nupur, confidently.
We caught up with the talented Ms. Kohli recently.

Lokvani - When and how was Jhankar born? When did you start hosting the show?
Nupur - I began JHANKAR as a baby eighteen years ago and have grown up on the air waves. It was April 7th, 1985 when I first began broadcasting with a one-hour show. I must mention that it was thanks to my parents support that I had this opportunity (I was far too young to sign contracts - not to mention drive to the studio). JHANKAR was my baby, but for years on end, my mom was with me each and every moment in the studio, with the same amount of enthusiasm and dedication as me! Even the radio station that I began on (WTTP) had never had a host as young as me, so I was truly pampered by everyone... from the producers to the engineers to the managers and owners. It has been such a wonderful experience. On our first anniversary, we expanded the show to two hours, and then slowly to three hours - and at one point, I was doing 6 hours per week!

Lokvani - How have you been able to sustain the interest of the fickle radio listener over the years?
Nupur - I think the main success of JHANKAR has been the variety of music and special features. I strive to bring the latest releases, beautiful old classics, and everything in between! In fact, I never repeated even one song (except for requests) for the first two years of broadcasting! The unique segments have also been extremely popular with our listeners. Our weekly segment of 'Aap Ki Farmaish' is so popular that listeners have to wait anywhere from 2-6 weeks to hear their requests! And now with our on-line edition, we receive requests from all over the world! Our monthly segments are also instrumental in setting JHANKAR apart. Our celebrity interviews have also been a big hit with our listeners. We have had everyone from Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwariya Rai ... to older favorites like Shammi Kapoor, Talat Mahmood, and Yash Chopra on the airwaves. And our interviews are not the run-of-the-mill kind ... the listener really gets to see the celebrity's personality. One of the listeners comments that stands out in my mind is, "Nupur nobody can do an interview like you ... you can tell you're friends with the star!" All in all, I feel that listeners tune into JHANKAR each and every week because they know they will enjoy top quality programming.

Lokvani - Have you ever thought of expanding to another medium or expand your existing program?
Nupur - Over the years, I have expanded the format of the show tremendously. I have also hosted a television show TARANG for 2 1/2 years. The show was very well received ... in fact it was sold out before hitting the airwaves! We were also the first to bring movies to the big screen - in fact, we brought blockbusters to premium cinemas in the New England area for more than 11 years! Our flagship was the Somerville Theatre and we expanded to Framingham General Cinema, Embassy Cinema, West Boylston Cinema, Park Cinema (RI), and more. People still remember the string of movies we brought and the cinemas they loved. We were also the first to bring concerts to the area since I was a little girl. We opened the doors to live entertainment in 1992 with 'Teen Mausam'. This was a musical delight at the Berklee Performance Center featuring Pankaj Udhas, Manhar Udhas, and Nirmal Udhas. People still talk about that particular show. We followed up with 'Chamakte Sitare' (the first mega star concert in the Boston area) with Aamir and Salman. And then more recently some musical bonanzas with Sudesh Bhosle and Amit Kumar. Basically, I only bring shows in which I'm friends with the performers. Sometimes they call me up from Bombay and request me to bring them to the area - it's hard to refuse friends.

Apart from bringing many levels of Indian entertainment to the area, I have also hosted a mainstream talk show 'Let's Get Real' for many years. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and had guests that were on Oprah, Donahue, and the like on my talk show. It was fabulous! I have been on a hiatus for some time, but am working on some projects that will begin shortly.

Lokvani - How about Star shows, have you brought many to the area, do you plan to Have any in the future?
Nupur - As I mentioned, we were the first in the area to open the doors again. Right now the market has changed tremendously. It has to make business sense. But like I said, I primarily bring artistes who are friends, so ... I'm always open-minded. I never say never!

Lokvani - What do you think of the existing radio and TV shows in the region?
Nupur - I think they are all different in their content and their appeal. I would like to say that it is rather sad that the local media is so disjointed. There's no sense of camaraderie. I believe in healthy competition and professional relations. However, the local media is so busy trying to pull each other down that in the process they forget their audience. Through the years, I grew up really fast due to these factors. But I am proud to say that I have never indulged in these antics. I think that the time and effort each of the local media puts into "harming" others in the field would best be invested on bettering their own efforts. It's a pity that we cannot work together to bring the community the maximum in entertainment. The South Asian community is relatively small, yet growing ... and the media plays an integral role in this growth. I wish the media would join together to promote the community and bring it the prominence it deserves.

Lokvani - Who is your average listener?
Nupur - We have a listener ship that basically encompasses all age groups. From little kids to students to young couples to the elderly ... we receive feedback from all ages. Primarily, but not limited to, South Asians ... we have many non-Indians that enjoy the show too! We started out for New England, and have the stronghold on the New England community, but ... now with our web presence, we draw listeners from all over the country and all over the world! It's great to hear that we bring friends and family from all corners of the globe together through one common bond - music.

Lokvani - Can you share some interesting anecdotes about the celebrities you have interviewed?
Nupur - There are so many! But let me relate one that is dear to my heart. I had interviewed Mr. Shammi Kapoor for Jhankar and he requested that I let him know the date and time it would be broadcast. I dropped him an email a day before the show was on air. The response from our listeners was amazing, we took many calls on that show and the lines were jammed with callers. After wrap up I picked up the phone when it rang. “ Thank you” said a deep familiar voice. It was Shammi Kapoor calling me from India to tell me how much he had enjoyed the show. That was truly rewarding and it brought tears to my eyes!

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