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Bakwas by the Bayside

Anil Srivasta has a new pet peeve. And beginning this Sunday, more Indians will get to hear about it.

The self-declared king of bakwas, whose East Coast radio show has piled up a horde of listeners by intertwining hot music picks with Srivasta's off-the-cuff musings on everything from Kargil to the proper use of bathroom lotas, is finally breaking into the Bay Area.

Starting May 6, Anil-Ki-Awaaz will air live every Sunday on local station KSQQ 96.1 FM from 3 pm to 5 pm.

For Srivasta, 33, sending his voice out West is a landmark achievement in more ways than one. Not only is he adding another major metro area to his reach, with its West Coast launch Anil Ki-Awaaz has scored yet another stereo FM signal. Srivasta is also one step closer to his lofty goal: He wants his show to become America's All India Radio -- albeit with a brash Howard Stern-esque tilt.

Although the numbers are hard to confirm, Srivasta claims 200,000 desis already tune in to his weekly New York Tri-State and DC Area programs. By penetrating the Bay Area, whose honeypot high tech jobs have attracted thousand of NRIs, Srivasta hopes to double his audience.

But come Sunday, when he flicks the 'Live' switch in the broadcast studio built in the basement of his New Jersey home, it won't be without a trace of nervousness.

"When the show began airing in DC, I got butterflies in my stomach," the hard-hitting radio host admits. "I'm feeling the same way again."

And as anyone who's ever listened to Anil-Ki-Awaaz knows, those butterflies have good reason to be there.

Srivasta balks at the stale headline news and music format of most desi radio programs, so for the past four years he has been spicing things up on Anil-Ki-Awaaz by inviting people to call in and lock horns with him or the desi community at large.

By dialing 1-866-HUM-DESI listeners can air their views on any subject or simply trade barbs with Srivasta.

Past chat topics have surveyed politics and local scandals, but they have also dipped into unmentionable areas like why so many desis don't wear deodorant.

"You have got to wake up and smell the coffee," Srivasta grouses. "If you work neck to neck with the locals, at least you can integrate in terms of some aesthetics. Try traveling on the train from New Jersey to New York on a morning when the car is full of South Asians! I don't mean to dig at anyone personally, but if the shoe fits..."

Although his impromptu rumblings may be hard for some to stomach, Srivasta says they accomplish something important: They stir people up and get them to engage in dialogue.

"Speaking one's mind is a privilege and I'd like to bring that out and give it to the South Asian audience," he says. "Whether I'm right or wrong, I'll get you to think about it. That's my goal."

"If you listen to my show, I'll guarantee you an emotional outburst," he adds. "It could be anger, it could be dismay, it could be amusement, but you will have your emotions involved and hopefully you'll call in."

But Srivasta doesn't attribute his loyal following to just his style.

"The mandate I've always taken on the show is to only pander to the listeners," he stresses. "Most media outlets try to have content that advertisers are happy with. But I decided not to do that: It's my listeners that I care about."

"At the end of the day, the Joe Schmoe down the street doesn't give a rat's ass who the FIA (Federation of Indian Associations) president is or what the FIA is doing because it doesn't trickle down to their benefit."

Despite an earnest reporter's questions, Srivasta is mum on the content of the program's Bay Area debut.

"It depends on what my mood on Sunday is," he says. "I fly by the seat of my pants. I just close my eyes and hope it makes sense."

In addition to its Bay Area signal, Anil Ki-Awaaz will continue broadcasting in the Tri-State Area on WPRB 103.3 on Saturdays, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, and in the Washington DC Area on WMET 1150 am on Sundays, from 5 pm to 7 pm.

To connect to the show if you are out of the coverage areas or to hear archive recordings, visit www.indiaradio.com Listeners can also log into the web site during live broadcasts to chat with Srivasta and others.

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