Rediscovering audio storytelling with Vikram Bhatt

Audio storytelling in the form of radio drama has been around for almost a century, with the first plays for radio being broadcast in the 1920s. Today’s radio has evolved despite having different online delivery systems from podcasting to streaming. 

Audio’s non-intrusiveness facilitates revelation and the expression of deep emotions; it liberates speakers and voice-actors from being judged on appearance and offers an equal form of media spared of judgement. 

RED FM recently launched a new initiative in the experiential audio space with ace Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt. ‘The Audio Film Project’ has Vikram Bhatt narrating high intensity horror and thriller stories on air to give listeners a never-before experience in the form of audio films. We spoke to Vikram Bhatt and Nisha Narayanan, COO and Director, RED FM and Magic FM about the initiative.

Edited excerpts: 

• How did you come up with the concept of audio storytelling? 

It is a very interesting story. When you write horror it’s very difficult to make people see what you are ideating and you cannot put it across on page. So to make my team understand, I started audio recording the horror sequence instead of giving written scripts. I realised that made a better impact and they understood the scripts. It was like narrating a ghost story. 

It was during the lockdown that I created a capsule with sounds and effects and shared it with my team. It had a different impact and that’s when I realised that this can be a game changer in the audio space. I figured that this can be a different way to reach out to audience. I contacted RED FM and shared this audio clip and they found the idea to be very potent for the radio. From there its been a roller coaster ride with two months from inception to being on air.  

• As a film director, did you face any challenges when you made the transition to the audio segment? 

There is a very nice saying in the writer’s community, ‘The filmmaker sees the film first in their mind’ so I cannot write unless I see the film in my mind. The thought that if I can see an imagery in my mind, why cannot I make people see that in theirs through audio narration. I am helping people see the film in their minds without asking them to be a film maker. 

There was a time when we used to narrate stories to the actors and there was no concept of written scripts. We had to be good at the art of narration and to make actors believe in the idea and make them see the films in their minds. I believe all that training has come to use finally with The Audio Film Project. 

• Audio narration has many intricacies, how did you prepare for these?

I did not do anything extra to prepare. I feel that narration is nothing but belief; it’s like you are telling the truth to your friend or making up a story. When you narrate a real incident, there is lot more confidence and belief. The same is with stories. The stories in which you have faith and you believe in will always hit home.  

• What convinced you about radio as a medium for launching The Audio Film Project? 

Radio is a more interactive medium. When you have people who believe in you and your work, it makes something that you are doing sparkle. I feel that after writing the story, it is always a collaborative effort. I do not think that The Audio Film Project could have been possible without RED FM. Even the title of the project was their idea. Red FM’s belief and their feedback has helped a lot in creating this initiative. 

Like films require a team, the audio needs collaborative efforts too. You need people for sound, promotions, editing etc. There is a whole team at RED FM, which is very creative, and they have worked day and night to make this possible. 

• Horror as a genre has been popular for long, how has it changed over the years?   

Films like Raaz were an ode to an earlier genre of horror films that had great music, great songs. All this was lost in the interim. Raaz was a reinvention of Indian horror film idiom. You can’t do such films now with too many songs or emotional breaks. The audience has evolved and exposed to a lot of international cinema and OTT content. Cinema is no longer a wholesome experience, it’s a very genre-oriented experience. 

• Tell us about your experience of working with your daughter for this project 

Krishna is exciting to work with and she has directed the show along with me. She does soundscaping and music after I record the show. She is a pianist and has a brilliant sense of music. Not because she is my daughter but honestly I was convinced about her skills and what she will bring to the table. That’s what made me collaborate with her. This project fits her well and space of audio and storytelling is up her alley.

Nisha Narayanan , Director and COO, RED FM and Magic FM

• Radio is a mass medium and audio has been your forte, how well do you see this segment growing in the coming years? 

Radio has a mass appeal because it has an excellent way of uniting communities of people if only ‘virtually’. Back then when radio was the Internet of 1930s in America, radio plays and narrative formats ruled the roster. 

Over the decades, radio has emerged as the ultimate survivor, adapting itself to the tastes of the newer generations of listeners and absorbing newer technologies. Today, radio stands tall with respect to its reach and the power of spreading information. 

• You have some of the finest RJ’s who are brilliant with their audio presentation skills, what made you collaborate with Vikram Bhatt to be a part of this initiative? 

Vikram Bhatt is known for creating stories that are impactful. Besides being an ace director, he is also a brilliant narrator. Hearing stories from a person who creates and visualizes stories in his mind and hearing him narrate is a different experience. It was his vision that gave birth to his idea. 

Storytelling will never go out of fashion, the platforms may change. It’s been just a few days that we launched ‘The Audio Film Project’ and the amount of love and support we are getting from the listeners and the advertising community is unmatched. 

Once a storyteller, always a storyteller. 

• Do you think this concept will see more traction in smaller cities vis-à-vis metros? 

Well, I believe that genres transcend geographies. Audiences across the country have a fascination for horror, thrillers, supernatural content.

• What has been your core strategy to promote such initiatives? How has been the response from the advertising fraternity?

Well, like every new product launch, we have ensured that the messaging is correct and more importantly the appropriate platforms are engaged to deliver the message.

It’s a right mix of digital – print and outdoor and radio, of course.

The response and feedback that we have received has been very encouraging from the fraternity of advertisers. 

This is a partner content article in association with exchange4media.