UoH Herald would like to thank Ms. S. Amoga Laxmi, Final year MA – Communication student for sharing this interview
An integrated MA-Social Sciences student of UoH anchors TV-9 programme
Are you the same Swathi anchoring for TV 9 ‘Weekend cinema’ programme?
This is the question which Swathi, an integrated student of UoH, is confronted with quite often. Not knowing who exactly she is talking to, Swathi answers them with a sweet smile. A visually-challenged Swathi is creating waves in the tinsel world.
“I am very happy about the stardom I gained through anchoring. Initially, not many knew that I am an anchor at TV9. But with a recent news article in one of the newspapers, people started recognizing me. After learning that I am visually challenged, they encourage and advice me to give my best”, Swathi told this reporter with a big smile.
Swathi
She attributes this recognition to her friends as they were the ones who encouraged her to go for the auditions. “Some of my friends in campus came to know about the anchoring auditions at TV9. They encouraged me to give it a try. I went to the studio along with my friends. The management recorded my voice and face modulations. Out of 40 people in the audition, I was the only person to get selected”, said Swathi proudly.
“My parents were happy and they supported me a lot”. Born and brought up in Medak, Swathi’s father is a mechanic and very recently their family shifted to Hyderabad for livelihood. Swathi has been on the show for a year now. “Every Saturday I get a vehicle from TV 9. Luckily my recording schedule does not clash with my academics so I need not bunk my classes”. On March 10, Swathi received “Adarsha Vanitha (A Model woman) award from “Madanepalli” organization. Talking about her eyesight, “I had good eye sight when I was born. But no one noticed that I had a squint. When few of my relatives turned up for my birthday they insisted my parents for an eye checkup. Then my parents took me to a doctor where he put on some eye drops. It affected me and then I lost my sight.”
Talking about her aims, “I want to be a Probationary officer in the banking sector. If it does not work out then I will take up teaching”, she said. She has also received a prize from former Governor N.D Tiwari for standing second in SSC exams. She participated in many cultural activities and stood second in many singing competition sat the school level.
When asked how the faculty in the campus supports she said, “Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad. It depends on the faculty”. Visually challenged students have to be equipped with better infrastructure.