Vicky Nanjappa

Vicky Nanjappa

In the first part of the series, I had spoken about my initial journey in journalism after I landed in Bengaluru and how glorious those days were. In this part, write a little bit about the flashback when my actual journey into this profession began.

Flash Back:

Well, I loved to write since I was 4 years old. Unbelievable as it may sound, I used to have a book in which I would write stories about my dog, Rover and the book was called ‘Hidden talents of Vicky Nanjappa.’ Then school happened, college too happened. I went back to my home town in Kodagu. I sat there idle, until one day, my mother told me that there is a newspaper called Kodagu Front that had opened. She said that they wanted a weekly column on filmy gossip. Those were the times when I was a Film Fare fan. I told her I have nothing better to do, so let me do it. I was being paid Rs 300 for that. I gladly did that and trust me, the column did pretty well. I am in Kodagu and writing about Bollywood celebrities. I added my two bit to it, while doing what the internet does today. Borrowing information of someone else’s hard work.

Kodagu Front taught me how to gather information, how to present a story. Would you believe the story you could be fired for if you missed was the first rain at Tala Cauvery. Yes, I did get there once only to get stuck in the floods. Came back to the office, developed the photographs ourselves and bam it was the lead story. What a feeling. Story by-line Vicky Nanjappa, photo by Vicky Nanjappa. Whoo.

Back in those days we had reporters to keep a tab on other reporters to find out what they were doing. 

From Kodagu, I moved to another newspaper. All of us were so excited because that was the first time we saw a modem. We had to gather, write and send stories to Mangaluru, then Mangalore. Grand launch and all that stuff. One morning, we realised that the office was shut. The owner decided to wind up without telling us. So all of us decided that now that he has not paid us let us sell his computers and recover our salaries. All that we realised that he had cleared out all the systems overnight. 

Into the hills after my last dance: Part 1

Then came Coffee Land news. Another local daily. Just three of us handling the show, including the printer at night. All was fine. My boss there said that he was applying for leave and pushed off. Then I get the assignment list. George Fernandes, Jaswant Singh visiting Kodagu and I was all alone in office. Okay being all of 23 I ran pillar to post and managed to cover every event. This was not enough. Called every hospital to check if there were any cases and then all police stations. This was necessary as crime was covered separately. All of that done in a day. Then the printer didn’t turn up. Literally hunted him down like an Intelligence Bureau official and got him to print the paper. The paper was out and whoo, celebration. 

I would always thank these newspapers, what the people in city call as mofussil newspapers. It grounds you, teaches you the basics and they according to me are the real journalism schools. Like how my best friend who has also been in a similar scenario would say, ‘ chappar saale log mere bhai. Inko kya malum, journalism kya hota hai.’

Another K sir:

When handed over the legal beat, trust me I was extremely nervous. I was sitting in the court of the chief and an order on S M Krishna’s cabinet’s junket had been cancelled based on a petition was passed. I was sitting along with a couple of fellow colleagues looking at the order after the court had risen. In walks the other K Sir, who was a legal correspondent from another newspaper and pulls the order and goes through it. His first remark, ‘ what English ya.’ I watched him like a star struck child. I thought if he can question the English of the chief, then he is quite something. I followed him like a puppy. I would be lying if I said he was not rude at first.

Back in those everyday at 5 pm all reporters would gather and share news. For a few days it was fine, but then later on I thought this is making no sense at all. Three would work all day and the rest of the tribe would land up in the evening and take the news without any effort. I thought, let me do something different. I tried talking to K sir and I didn’t get any great response from him. Okay then, let’s go for the kill. I worked alone and grabbed up a couple of exclusives. Do I have your attention now sir?  Honestly, I wanted to work alongside him as the way he understood the legal system, none did. 

One day while I walking down from court hall 1, I saw him sitting by himself. I stopped and as usual I got that cold vibe. I sat down next to him and said, ‘ sir, my contacts and your expertise and experience. Won’t that make a great team?’ He reluctantly agreed. 

The next morning, there was a call from sir. Anything special today? I was elated. That was the beginning of a new something in the legal beat. We became two hunters and yes we did hunt them down. We became great friends and till date it is the same and each conversation between us lasts at least three hours during which we reminisce what a smashing we made of that beat. Thanks sir.

Coming up next: The hell in journalism begins and the last dance starts

(This is the second of the three part series)