Popular Kannada radio jockey Rachana’s (39) death on February 22 due to a cardiac arrest came as a rude shock to the entertainment fraternity.
Nicknamed ‘Pori Tapori Rachana’, she became popular in the mid-2000s with shows like ‘Chill Maadi’ and ‘Hi Bangalore’ on Radio Mirchi and ‘Aithalakadi Morning’ on Radio City. Her friends and former colleagues remember her:
‘Her jokes were a big hit in office’
Lavanya Ballal, spokesperson of Indian National Congress and former RJ, says, “She had an effortless style as a host. As a person, she was extremely warm and funny. She perfectly fit into the image of somebody who would pull your leg but not in a mean way. People of all age groups loved listening to her. With Rachana around, there was so much harmless fun. Rachana’s PJs (poor jokes) were a big hit in the office. I learnt a lot from her.”
'Meticulous worker'
Avinash, head of Udaya Music and former RJ, had a long association with Rachana. “We began MCing for corporate shows and then worked in a Kannada channel called Sparsha at the World Space Radio. We were in the first batch when Radio Mirchi launched in 2006 in Bengaluru. RJs were no less than celebrities back then and Rachana reached the peak of stardom. We had launched a competition called ‘Double Dharode’. We would ask people 10 questions and some lucky winners would get Rs 1 lakh. Our faces were splashed on large hoardings for its promotions and we were thrilled about it.” She was a meticulous worker and a health freak. “In restaurants, she would order food without butter and cheese and she would carry a box of salad. Her passing is a personal loss to me.”
‘All-rounder’
Varsha, former RJ and programming head, Radio Mirchi, said Rachana was an all-rounder. "She was extremely witty and had a beautiful voice. She was the voice of the sparkler ‘sleeveless Sarsa’. It was a big hit because of her tongue-in-cheek humour. She was an all-rounder. A trained Carnatic singer, she sang an emotional rendition of the GS Shivarudrappa's classic ‘Ede thumbi haadidenu’ song during our induction programme in Chennai. I was surprised and happy because I hadn't seen that side of her. Rachana was one RJ I would love to wake up to lisen to every morning. She conveyed anything with a fine balance of fun and seriousness.”
‘She was fitness-conscious’
Sowjanya, an RJ at Radio City, says Rachana would stress on the importance of consuming greens. “Since we RJs lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, she would talk about health a lot. Once when she returned from Cambodia, she gifted me a gree tea box. Even for gifting purpose, she would think of healthy options. So be it Puneeth Rajkumar or Rachana, when such fitness-conscious people pass away, we are confused and apprehensive about what’s right or wrong about our own lifestyles. Rachana was one of the most positive persons I had seen. She was a very secure person and always wished good for everybody. Before my marriage, she gifted me the famous book 'Five Love Languages'. That was very special. She became a reclusive person later on. We would all miss her and wonder where she was.