Kamla Bhatt would need no introduction to many of you. For the uninitiated, she’s India’s first podcaster and a well known blogger. She produces and hosts the Kamla Bhatt Show and also contributes to the India section on PodTech.net. She recently started foraying into video blogging (3-4 video clips a week) and has also started a travel blog – Ifyougoto. You can read the rest of her bio here.

I have been following her podcasts for quite some time and became more and more intrigued by the wide variety of people she interviews as part of her podcasts. She’s interviewed some prominent personalities such as Shyam Benegal, Vikram Chandra, RK Laxman, Ameen Sayani, Dr. Salman Akhtar, Rakyesh OmPrakash Mehra to name a few. I wanted to know more about how she chooses the subjects, how she got into podcasting and how her podcasting experience has been.

So, without further ado, here’s the interview.

1) How did the ‘Kamla Bhatt show’ start ? What was the motivation and the vision you had when you started out ?

Kamla: Much of what I have done all these years almost seems like preparation for what I am doing now. I have always wanted to do a radio show ever since I was a child. I never saw it as a choice – it is what I always wanted to do. I dreamt of doing my own show from way back when. Besides, radio on the web is a great means to get across to the world on what is happening in India and the Indian community.
A few years ago when my husband was running a streaming media company he suggested I launch my radio show, but I found the cost of hosting a streaming show to be expensive. More recently I discovered all these user friendly tools and started experimenting with it and before I knew it I was neck-deep in producing my own show. The current Kamla Bhatt Show preceded two other shows: Talk News India and News About India.

2) Why did you choose podcasting as the medium of expression ?

Kamla: Podcasting is a distribution channel for my radio show. I understand that in India only the government controlled radio stations can produce news-related shows and that is why most of the private radio stations are so entertainment heavy.
I also think that the radio experience is just as relevant whether it is delivered through ‘plain old airwaves’ (POA), the satellite or the Internet. What makes a radio show on the Internet different is that content is available anytime, anywhere to the user, and this allows me to focus on compelling and cutting-edge content that regular radio shows may miss out or may incorrectly perceive as not being viable.

My goal is to appeal to the inquisitive and thinking Indian or Indophile who wants to listen and enjoy a good conversation. It does not matter whether they live in India, UK, Tanzania, Malaysia, Singapore or the USA. The difference between a good and great interview is the same in each of these medium. In my view a great interview is more like a conversation among friends in familiar surroundings and that is what the show is all about. I get lot of emails from listeners who say that they enjoy listening to the conversation on their mp3 player when they go for their morning walks, or are traveling by bus or plane. I think that is great validation from real listeners and the market place. That validation cannot be bought or influenced.

3) Were you familiar with the nitty-gritties of podcasting ? Was there a learning curve ? If so, how did you work your way around it ?

Kamla: I was not familiar with the nitty gritty of using any audio related software. However once I discovered the software I started playing around with it and learnt the basics of using the product. Yes, initially I had quite a few harrowing days learning the software and how to convert the files into mp3 etc.

4) How was your first podcasting experience ? Any memories / nightmarish problems you ran into ?

Kamla: I think I took to podcasting like a duck takes to water and whatever initial problems I encountered were minimal in my perception. In the end my perception is my reality and I think that mindset helped me focus on creating good interviews and not dwell on the technical challenges. Some of my initial podcasting experience involved interviewing street performers in New York city and I thoroughly enjoyed doing those. One of my initial interviews was with this wonderful woman Flower Silliman, a Baghdadi Jewish person from Calcutta, who now lives in New York. Flower was such a delight to interview and in interviewing her I fulfilled a long-held dream of mine of interviewing Baghdadi Jewish families that had ties to China in the 19th century. My graduate thesis was on the Opium Trade between British Indian and China where I read some fascinating accounts of Baghdadi Jews and Parsees involved in the opium trade to China.

5) I have been following your show for quite some time and there a couple in particular which found very interesting – Ameen Sayani and Vikram Chandra. Ameen Sayani’s one especially brought back very fond memories from his radio show. That’s what got me intrigued about one very particular question – How do you choose the subject of your next podcast ?

Kamla: The number one source for suggestions come from my listeners who send me emails with their suggestions and people they are interested in listening to in the show. Besides that I have a dynamic wish list in my mind about the kinds of people I would like to talk to. I want to find out how they started and what motivated them to chose their field. I think that informs and colors my choice of people that I feature on the show. Mr. Sayani was right up there on my list.
On a broader note what anchors the show is the tagline: Life, People and Ideas…the message says it all… these are the strands that connect the Indian Diaspora across the world. There is nothing that brings me greater joy and satisfaction in watching their interplay. The radio show helps me convey the nuances and complexities of their interactions. And this is not just about the mechanics of radio. As I mentioned, in my view a great interview is more like a conversation among friends in familiar surroundings and also learning about the lessons of life.

Why reinvent the wheel? There are others before me who have struggled to find their groove and passion. I often look to see what I can learn from these people in fulfilling my dream of doing a great radio show.

6) Deciding upon the podcast subject is difficult. But equally difficult is actually getting hold / an appointment with the subject. Not only can it be a time consuming but also a frustrating process. How do you manage this part ?

Kamla: I guess it is hard work and luck? I don’t get to interview everybody on my wish list. If I don’t get somebody I move on. I guess my training in sales has helped me to move on and not to take these rejections personally or in a permanent way. One of the biggest lessons I learned from my sales day is that there are different kinds of sales techniques and one of the best that is out there is relationship selling and a genuine interest in the people you are talking to. When they are ready I am sure they will talk. There is no point in pursuing a subject needlessly.

7) For the uninitiated folks like myself – Can you describe the entire process from start to finish – narrowing the podcast subject to the actual editing and uploading of the podcast – what all is actually involved ?

Kamla: I always having a running list of people I want to interview embedded in my head. Once the subject agrees we do the interview and I prefer to do it in-person. I then edit the audio file multiple times and generally this process may take a few hours and sometimes might spill into a a couple of days. Once I am satisfied with the audio quality, I create the right tags, a brief text description and sometimes an associated blog. I then upload the content. Simple.

8 ) Are all the podcast interviews done in person or over the phone too ?

Kamla: A combination of both.

9) How many hours on an average do you spend for doing one podcast ?

Kamla: Oh it varies and can take anywhere from 12-18 hours and this includes researching on the subject, the actual interview, editing, writing etc. This is basically a one-person show and is driven purely by passion.

10) Is the Kamla Bhatt show a single person effort or is there a team behind the effort ?

Kamla: A single person effort with a lot of emotional support from my husband Deepak Srinivasan. I could not do the show without his support.

11) How many visitors / page views / subscribers is Kamla Bhatt show getting ?

Kamla: I cannot disclose that at the moment – but suffice it to say I have an engaged audience.

12) So far, I havent noticed ads or other means of revenue generation. Do you intend to generate revenue from the Kamla Bhatt show ? If so how ? If not, why not ?

Kamla: Yes, it is a conscious decision not to run advertisements. Well, there are some ideas in the pipeline.

13) Do you have a day time job that pays the bills?
Kamla: My radio show pays my bills.

14) I noticed you spend your time equally between US and India – is that for personal or professional reasons?
Kamla: I do this for professional reasons.

15) What are your plans / long term vision for the show?
Kamla: I would love to get on the airwaves in India.

16) Of all the podcasts you have done, any favorites?
Kamla: Oh there are so many that is difficult to choose. I enjoyed interviewing Shyam Benegal, Dr. Salman Akhtar, Mr. Ameen Sayani, Beth Watkins, Indu, the mallishwali, Baldev Sharma, the New Delhi cab driver and a couple of others who are in the pipeline like Mr. R.K. Laxman and Mr. V.K. Murthy cinematographer to Guru Dutt. Bottomline, I have enjoyed interviewing each one of the guests in the show and each time I come away learning something new and different and I feel richer for that.

17) If you were to sum up and list the single most benefit you’ve gained out of your podcasting experience, what would it be?

Kamla: When I used to report for various magazines my friends would always tell me that I had a knack of drawing out people. I did not believe them then and used to brush it off. But, now when I am producing my radio show I realize that I truly enjoy connecting with people and finding out what keeps them motivated and going. What can I learn from them at a personal level? What I hear most is from my subjects and from some of my fans as well – as to how they deal with their successes and their rejections, the ups and downs of life. These are people who have been there and done that and are in many ways much better informed than me.

18) Any suggestions to others who would be interested getting into podcasting?

Kamla: First, you need to have the time and dedication to do it on a consistent basis. Learning how to use the software and record the interview are not difficult. You cannot substitute passion and genuine interest in people. Do not fake it if you don’t have it.

19) Finally, how does it feel to be in the hot seat yourself ?

Kamla: Well, I don’t consider myself to be in the hot seat. Just answering your thoughtful questions gave me an opportunity to think and refresh my own perspective. And, thanks for taking the time to do this. Wish you all the best with your Startup Dunia venture Pranav.

Thanks Kamla for taking the time and sharing your experiences with us.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 10th, 2007 at 3:10 pm and is filed under Interview. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.