HIMANSHU GURU, OP
Kavita Barsa has managed to successfully balance a career as an engineer with her passion for anchoring…
Kavita Barsa is a successful anchor who has shown her flair as a video jockey (VJ) and radio jockey (RJ). She has hosted TV shows like ‘Subhakamana,’ ‘OllywoodFactory,’ ‘Swagatam Suprabhat’ and ‘Ama Rosei.’
Daughter of Gitanjali and Krushna Chandra Barik of Cuttack, Kavita passed the ICSE from SCB Medical Public School and completed the Plus 2 course from Sailabala Women’s College. Later she graduated in Information Technology Management (ITM) from Ravenshaw University. Ankita and Kaushik are her siblings. Twenty five year old Kavita is working as a project engineer in a reputed multinational company at Hyderabad. Simultaneously, she is also continuing her studies and is now in the last semester of the M. Tech course at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Tamil Nadu.
As a school student, Kavita was very shy. Nobody would have thought that this shy girl would someday host shows. “It was in 2007 that I was given a chance to play a prominent role at the school annual function though I was a very shy girl. On January 5, 2007 for the first time I anchored a show and found myself getting a lot of compliments and appreciation. After that, I started dreaming of becoming a host or anchor, ”she says.
Kavita takes her anchoring job very seriously. Once she decided to be an anchor, she started practicing for it. “I started talking to myself in front of the mirror and recorded my voice,” she says. “I started hosting all the college shows. However, I always had a desire to be a TV VJ. Days passed and, in 2010, during my first year at Ravenshaw, I got a chance to be an RJ in Ravenshaw Radio. Then I got an offer from Sarthak TV for the show
‘Subhakamana.’ I was auditioned and got selected. I finally became a TV anchor.”
“My RJ experience at Ravenshaw made me realise my potential and what I am capable of,” she added.
Kavita does not prepare in depth for a show, instead she tries to be spontaneous. She says, “I don’t mug up the script. I just study the topic and speak extempore. I don’t need much time for preparation. At any place, any time and in any circumstance you can assign me a theme and I will deliver the dialogues spontaneously.”
“Recently my office wanted me to host a show. My senior wanted me to make the atmosphere a little informal. Since it was around Children’s Day, I decided to talk about things related to children. I started asking the people present there about any incidents of mischief they were involved in as a child. At first, everybody seemed a bit confused but later the idea clicked and they all had a good time.”
Kavita has hosted shows on Doordarshan and private TV channels. She says that to be a good anchor a girl should be a good speaker, be clear in her thoughts, capable of crowd management, an entertainer, and have a clear enunciation. “Hosting and script depends upon the type of show,” she explains. “If it is a morning show we need to say positive things and if it is a cookery show, we need to have some knowledge about food.”
Kavita is also a voice dubbing artist. “Once my father got a call from telecom services where the caller asked many questions which he answered with all seriousness. When he found out that it was me, he was speechless and could not believe it. It was a memorable moment for me,” she smiles.
Besides anchoring, Kavita enjoys cooking. “I always try out new recipes that I find on YouTube. I am especially good at making chicken biryani and dalma.”
Kavita, who balances her engineering profession with her job as an anchor, says that this is a good time to be an anchor. “The Oriya audiovisual industry is booming. There are many opportunities for a VJ and RJ. A girl can make a good career as an anchor in Orissa.”
Looking to the future, she says, “I want a life partner who is supportive and friendly. He should be comfortable with the dual roles I have as an engineer and an anchor. And, of course, he can expect the same support from me to live his own life.”
“Anchoring is my passion and my family supports me a lot. My mother had a great wish to see me on TV once and I made her dream come true by appearing on TV for around three and a half years,” she says. “When people ask me, ‘Your English is so good, you speak so well, where are you from,’ I proudly answer, ‘I am from Orissa’.”
