A train of thought?

Manpriya Singh

When we last spoke to Neelesh Misra, he was gearing up for Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger (a film he had co-written and given lyrics for). At the same time getting candid about how he wished he had written all the songs of Rockstar, how he didn’t quite grow up on Western music and why he should be called ‘radio storyteller’ and not radio jockey.

A couple of years later, the conversation continues…and so do his stories…The master storyteller is back with what the listeners remember him best for. Stories of rural heartland, urban belt; stories of ordinary people and overwhelming emotions. Audio entertainment streaming platform Saavn presents Kahaani Express with Neelesh Misra.

“All the stories are to do with train journey…The concept takes inspiration from the fact that railways are the heart of India, while a lot of us may not have taken a train journey in a long time but we all do have great memories of traveling on the train,” he shares, while in Chandigarh for the promotions.

The show, the concept, the format…

The fellow travellers, the station master, the platform, the crowds, the stalls…every bit of Indian railways easily lends itself to drama, nostalgia and of course, tales. “The most challenging part was to tailor the stories as per the format. To be able to structure it into four parts of 15 minute each and in a way that the interest of the listeners remains intact.”

There is also the larger picture to be looked at. “I also don’t want to get bored of repeating myself and at the same time offer something new to listeners.”

Of time and travel

Well, he definitely has more than one to begin with. “I grew up in Lucknow and we used to go to Nainaital to school, so those journeys would be memorable. The sight of hills emerging to fascination that usually accompanies adolescent age,” shares the author, journalist, radio storyteller and of course the scriptwriter. “It is about meeting strangers, good observation and the appeal of a journey shared with co-passengers.”

Some more stories…

Whoever thought simple stories of ordinary lives would echo across the regional belts of India? Of the countless stories has narrated every week, “The first one remains close to his heart. Titled Diwali Ki Raat, the story is about a young professional who cannot make it back home on the night of Diwali. He is put up in a five star hotel for work but eventually he does go back home.”

Coming up are some more stories…only compartmentalized into untouched sub-genres. Bedtime stories, suspense, horror stories, comedy stories…he laughs, “The only thing is that I won’t be able to record the horror stories during night.” Well, we are sure the listeners won’t be able to listen to them at night either.