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Reaching out, Craig style

The SS Music VJ is 1,800 shows old and still going strong

PHOTO: S. Thanthoni

WORD POWER Craig

Craig Gallyoto knew he had gone beyond the limit. The support crew (at SS Music) had warned him against foot-in-the-mouth utterances — "Viewers down South are conservative, naughty lines will not go down well with them. Keep away from subjects that are taboo." Craig nodded his head, but his first question to the very first caller of the vernacular film song- based dial-in show "Reach Out" flouted the rule. When Craig's question to Sumathi (the first caller) — "Do you have a boyfriend" — was greeted with an uneasy silence, he thought, "I've blown my chance." "Reach Out" had fallen in his lap because the person, for whom it was originally earmarked, took off to Australia. His heart started beating again when a giggle broke the silence. Since then, Craig has not looked back. With each show, Craig was getting more popular. After 1,800 shows of "Reach Out", Craig is still going strong.

Part of Craig's success derived from his ability to go yackety-yak about any subject — "If someone calls from Kerala, I talk about coconuts". He does not burn the midnight oil, swotting over `Facts About South Indian States'. Because it is not in his system to patiently run his eyes over beaded strings of words. " I have an observant pair of eyes and a pair of ears that likes to eavesdrop. They are at their best when I travel. So, you know how I get all my information."

Craig is clear about the objectives of "Reach Out" — it's not a quiz programme, but a show meant to connect with the viewer at a personal level. He is also aware of the boundaries that can't be overstepped.

"You are sworn to politeness, even if you are confronted with a caller who does not share the same enthusiasm for this quality. When someone is rude, my answer is not a direct retort." Craig, however, in a subtle counter-attack ensures the caller pays a price for his rudeness.

Five-odd years of "Reaching Out have made Craig worldly wise. "The show has taught me a few valuable lessons. One, voices can be misleading. Once I fell in love with a voice. In the sweetest intonation possible, she cooed `Hello Craig... ' I took her number from Raj (who makes lists of callers and their numbers) and arranged a rendezvous. I expected to meet a drop-dead gorgeous lady. Instead, I met someone exactly like Godzilla." Lesson Two: "Never wear a lungi. I wore one for a special `Reach Out' show on a Tamil New Year's Day. Midway, the lungi slid away from me. Thank God, it was pre-recorded."

Lesson Three: "Never flirt with an army man's daughter. I told a woman caller that army men's daughters made great girlfriends, unaware that I was talking to one. The next day a 45-year-old, towering six-footer comes to the studio and introduces himself in a gruff voice, `I am Colonel Manjrekar. You spoke to my daughter yesterday'. Only one thought went through my mind — this huge man chasing me with a shotgun. Col. Manjrekar, however, said his daughter wanted to rattle me a bit and that in truth both were my fans. In any case, I don't want to take a chance again."

PRINCE FREDERICK

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