Arun among generation of TV journos who witnessed the industry during transition
Dube has worked with Arun Nautiyal as a reporter, anchor, producer and a management leader
In television it's tough to count views and likes for an individual news report or story, we often do not measure it as a unit and rarely talk about it. I mean if we were to measure television views like we do for YouTube stories or Facebook likes, then Arun Nautiyal's share would be that of a giant. Stories and headlines on TV that Arun touched as a writer or reviewer, would have billions of views by now. However, likely, viewers will never know who Arun Nautiyal is, or shall I say who Arun Nautiyal was.
Two or three generations of television news professionals knew Arun Nautiyal as a rock of the newsroom - Aaj Tak, Star News, ABP News, ZEE News - one newsroom at a time, Arun will change things with a stroke of a smile or stand like a guard to resist what should not be changed.
This morning when my long-lost friend shared the news of his demise, it was not believable, no death is. Arun's death sent shock waves to thousands of us who shared space with him in TV news media. Desk veteran, output head, writer, reader, runner, true TV guy, patient, silent, introvert, mindful, nice guy, kindhearted etc., people mentioned so many virtues of Arun ji on WhatsApp messages, shared videos and cried together in disbelief.
Once my former super boss Uday Shankar defined Arun’s work so well - no matter what all stopped working, if Arun is on the floor, the newsroom will deliver, and the feed will be on air with all its checks and balances, no matter if it's just five men or fifty men at the desk, the show will go on. And since then, it's been another 15 - 17 years, Uday's words were never proven wrong about Arun. Earthquakes, terrorist attacks, elections, recessions, slowdowns, world cups, Olympics, budgets, festivals, funerals, all come and go but Arun will be running his desk uninterrupted, silently and patiently.
So, what goes on behind a rock of the kind that Arun was? A lot of energy is needed in staying the course. Resisting so many unkind requests at a news desk is not for the faint hearted. You must be an avid reader; you must be a listener and you must be clued in.
All the news anchors we see on air – bright, argumentative, fashionable, confident – must be handled well by the rock. Reporters, writers, technicians, must be handled well by the rock, yet the rock must perform as per the management’s guidelines and deliver the numbers. You must be creative and clear at the same time. You must find the new and stick to the old at the same time. You must be Arun the journalist and Arun the manager at the same time.
Arun belonged to a generation of TV journalists, who have seen the heaviest amount of change and transition. First it was about being different to newspapers and being credible like the newspapers are, at the same time. Then it was about being number one in the BARC charts and being trustworthy at the same time. Later it turned out to be a work that should do well on TV and be YouTube worthy at the same time. The industry has seen many shifts and many turns, but this generation has digested it all – only to be demeaned by some digital jargon, some engagement algorithm or it-doesn't-work-in-digital type of comments. But their legacy is not going to die. They were the ones who lit up television media and created a whole new world of imagination and conversations. They created possibilities for the You Tube generations and GPT versions.
It will be a true tribute to Arun, if we take the news of his departure with a smile, just as he would take things with a smile. I saw that smile this morning on his daughter Devyani’s face at his place, minutes after Arun’s remains were taken to Haridwar for last rites. Devyani was on her way to study at the foreign university and turned back just in time to be with her mother and say bye to Arun ji one last time. When I told her that her father was very proud of her, she already knew, she smiled.
(Mehraj Dube is Managing Partner of Your Next Orbit and worked with Arun Nautiyal as a reporter, anchor, producer and a management leader over the years. He can be reached at mehrajdube@yournextorbit.com).
