RJ Shubham at Radio Mirchi station, Nagpur.

Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, Nagpur, lost one of its most talented RJs today. Twenty two years old RJ Shubham, who hosted the morning show ‘Hi Nagpur,’ died during his today’s show because of a cardiac arrest. RJ Shubham, who started his radio jockeying career with Radio Mirchi approximately two years back, was extremely popular among listeners. Such was his popularity, that when he revealed to his listeners on social media some time back that he wouldn’t be hosting the morning show anymore at Radio Mirchi (he was going to join My FM radio station as an RJ next month), his listeners urged him not to go, by sending him messages and dedicating posts to him!

Everybody knew Shubham as an RJ who made mornings special for Nagpurians with his refreshing voice and unmatched energy, but very few were aware of Shubham’s life story. His journey from a lower middle class young boy, who lost his father at a young age, to becoming one of the most popular RJs in Nagpur is indeed inspiring. I feel fortunate enough to have known his late father and his mother, who has untimely lost her young boy.

RJ Shubham aka Shubham Keche’s father, Raju bhau, as people affectionately called him, owned a pan kiosk near Vijayanand Society, Dhantoli, Nagpur. I would often visit the kiosk as a student with my friends. Shubham’s father was a humble man, who cared about his family. He wanted his children to prosper and have a successful life. Over a period, his father and I developed a connect and we would talk about a lot of things. Sometimes, I would tell him about my personal life and sometimes, he would tell me about his. I had been a regular at his kiosk for at least four years. I did not know Shubham personally back then but I saw him at times at the kiosk helping his father.

In-between, for many months, I could not visit the kiosk. One day when I did, I saw a young Shubham sitting at the kiosk and doing what his father did to support the family. He had a personality, which was nothing extraordinary. He was just the guy who wouldn’t be able to impress anybody! Shubham had shaved his head. On enquiring, he told me that his father passed away due to a cardiac arrest. I felt really sad. His father and I never really talked regularly but there was a mundane connect. I felt a strong sense of sympathy for Shubham and his mother, and told them to take care before I left.

I did not visit the kiosk for another six to seven months. After that when I went there, I saw a completely different Shubham. He looked stylish! He wore a bandana. He seemed more confident, more energetic and his personality had changed completely. I don’t know what he did but he really seemed to have taken the charge of his life in his own hands. Maybe, it was because he had realised that after his father, he had to be the bread earner for his family. He told me that he planned to give interviews for being an RJ. He did and later got an internship at Radio Mirchi, after which he was selected amongst many interns to be Radio Mirchi’s morning RJ in Nagpur. The void that existed after RJ Milind left Radio Mirchi was filled by RJ Shubham, who gave Mirchi’s morning show a complete revamp. His journey from that helpless son, who lost his father and had a family to take care of, to becoming one of the most popular RJs, is indeed a testimony to the fact that one can win, no matter how worse the situation is.

RJ Shubham was a winner in real sense!

Shubham and I did not keep in regular touch, but around five days back, he called me out of nowhere. He told me that as we had not spoken for a while, he just felt like talking to me. We planned to meet soon. I told him that we, at Nation Next, wanted to do a story on him and share his amazing success story with our readers. I really wanted his inspiring story to reach out to more youngsters who get bogged down by situations, who give up too easily and who think that a problem is the world’s end for them. It would have been great, if he had shared his story instead of me sharing a part of it! But nonetheless, the world deserves to know that RJ Shubham, in addition to being a phenomenally talented RJ, was a great success story!

Rest in peace RJ Shubham! You lived your life well. You achieved what you wanted to. You made your friends and family proud. You, at barely five feet, completely justified the Marathi saying ‘Murti lahan, pan kirti mahan!’ I wish I could meet you for a last time as we planned. It would have been great to have you around for many more years to come. You could have achieved much more. But for all the happiness that you gave to us, for the inspiration and smiles, here’s a heartfelt thank you on behalf of all those who knew you and on behalf of all those who wanted to!

May God give your family the courage to cope with the irreparable loss!

Farewell, my friend! Shine like a star in the heavens too!