Spirit W | Multi-tasking is colossally important in media: NDTV GoodTimes's Arati Singh

Arati Singh has been with NDTV for the last 17 years and was instrumental in setting up the fashion division of NDTV lifestyle which she is currently heading. After successfully producing the 'Making of the Kingfisher Calendar', she launched the 'Hunt for the Kingfisher Calendar' four years ago. The show was nominated as the Best Reality show category at the Asian Television Academy Awards.

 

Adgully caught up with Aarti Singh, Senior Vice President Programming & Production, NDTV Good Times to know more about her life.

 

A graduate from the School of Planning and Architecture, she started her career with NDTV news and worked with India’s First Breakfast show, Good Morning India. 

 

When asked what prompted her to take up this profession, Singh said, “When I completed my college, the trend of television had just started and my first try turned out successful with a call-letter from NDTV and since then I have never looked back. I feel it’s an amazing industry and one meant for women!” She feels the potential that this industry has for women is immense and holds an opinion that it’s good to be woman than to be a man in the media industry.

 

She is an individual who has always felt that being a woman is an edge in the industry; hence on asking whether she has ever felt any prejudice in her professional life, Singh strongly said, “Never ever in 17 years of my career have I ever felt any kind of prejudice. I feel that in a country like India, it may sound a little funny though but no women in the media industry would ever face any prejudice.”

 

Naming two idols from the industry that have taught her important lessons about the industry, Singh said, “One would be my boss, Smeeta Chakrabarti, Chief Executive Officer, NDTV Lifestyle who inspires me immensely. I have learnt a lot from her and other one would be Barkha Dutt because of the fact that she is just brilliant with her work.”

 

According to her ‘Multi-tasking’ is really essential for excellence in this industry. Strengthing this statement, Singh said, “I think in media one thing that is colossally important is ‘Multi-tasking’ and undoubtedly as compared to men women do a lot of that!”

 

Giving a piece of advice for the young entrants, she signed off saying, "Never say no to any work. Anything and everything you do in your career will always pay-off at some or the other time in your life."

  

In 2003 Singh played a key role in the launch of the NDTV news channels where she had set up the production division of the channels in Mumbai as well as produced the flagship show for NDTV called ‘Jai Jawan’ which has won multiple awards.

In 2007  she Joined NDTV Good Times to head their fashion and style division and has been instrumental in setting up and executing a variety of shows under this banner which include Band Baaja Bride I'm too Sexy for my Shoes  and the Hunt for the Kingfisher Calendar Girl . | By Aanchal Kohli [aanchal(at)adgully.com]