From being an entrepreneur, an author, TEDx Speaker to being the Group-Head, CSR with the radio station, former Radio Jockey C. Pallavi Rao Narvekar has strived hard to earn the feathers gracing her accomplishment-hat.

In conversation with The Logical Indian, Pallavi open’s up about her experience of being diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disorder, battle with cancer and losing the most precious thing, her voice, all during the peak of her career.

Pallavi is one of the few who has emerged as a fighter in the face of adversities, survived life-threatening disorders to become an inspiration for others.

Love With Radio

‘Mujhe apni awaaz Radio mein sun ni thi! (I wanted to listen to my voice on the radio). I had always been fascinated with this concept where you capture undivided attention of thousands of people with just your voice! I used to see my father dedicatedly listening to the shows on his transistor and with time it became an obsession,’ says Pallavi.

Being born and raised in the national capital, Pallavi says that she used to relentlessly coax her father on taking her to the All India Radio (AIR) studio. Her father had retired as the sports editor with one of the leading publications and used to host sports update, a weekly sports magazine on Radio.

‘I would request him to introduce me to the world of Radio and one day he surprisingly agreed. I was thrilled. He did take me to the AIR, however, he left me to find my own way into the building and the people,’ she remembers.

This fight for making a name in the Radio industry eventually led Pallavi to bag roles from being a side-score keeper in her first stint to work with All India Radio as an English newsreader. She went on to become a radio jock with Times FM, AIR FM 102.6, and AIR Fm Gold.

With the advent of private FM in the country, she eventually joined Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, as the prime-time jock in Delhi and her show clicked with the audience gradually earning her the admiration of being a local celebrity.

Riding high on opportunities and success, Pallavi also worked with TV channels like Doordarshan, Star Plus, Zee TV, as a presenter, newsreader, and a voice-over artist.

‘I used to teach the school children too! Kaam mein bahot maza aya, kaam ko kabhi mana nahi kiya par raaton ko neend nahi thi aur din mein sukoon nahi tha. (I enjoyed my work but wasn’t able to do much after the work hours). I was forever working. For the initial ten years of my career I prioritised my work which later started taking a toll on my physical self,’ says the former RJ.

Meeting Her Love

While the 29-year-old RJ was exploring and juggling career tasks, she also met the love of her life Rahul Narvekar on the matrimonial site Jeevansathi.com. Rahul was residing in Mumbai then.

‘He just fit my criteria! The only part that bothered me and stood in the way was Mumbai but we started getting closer. With every SMS, every email, we were falling in love.

I somehow convinced him to try Delhi for a year. And he agreed. But it’s been 19 years since then. We did not shift to Mumbai and he still complains,’she says.

Pallavi describes her post-wedding days (2002-2005) to be one of the happiest days in her life with her career hitting the right chords, getting the dream home, attending industry parties with her partner-in-crime.

In the year 2005, she gave birth to a baby boy, Rian Rao Narvekar. During her pregnancy, she was off-air but was working as show producer from the comfort of her home.

Twist In Plot

A month-old Rian was cradled in her arms when Pallavi while humming a lullaby suddenly felt her tongue heavy, she started to slur.

‘The next morning, as I started to brush my teeth, I could not spit out the froth. It went splashing all over the washbasin and my cheeks felt lifeless. I had to put my fingers inside my mouth to get the froth out. I was scared,’ recalls Pallavi.

The couple immediately rushed to the gynaecologist who asked them to visit the neurologist as soon as possible. After running a series of tests, the doctor diagnosed her disorder as ‘Myasthenia Gravis’.

Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by physical weakness and fatigue in the voluntary muscles group which is caused due to a breakdown in the normal communication between nerves and muscles.

The disorder can cause drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision, slurred speech, difficulties with chewing and swallowing, chronic muscle fatigue and weakness in the arms and legs where one is unable to walk even a few steps.

She had to undergo a surgery and was trying to regain control over her voice with the help of the doctors and experts…all this while the only thing that was constantly hitting Pallavi’s mind was the show she had to return to.

‘What came as a shock was that post my surgery too I was unable to speak clearly. The slur was gone but the voice was feeble. When consulted, the doctors informed me that one of my vocal cords got paralyz…