Gaurav Shah, a familiar name and face among the Indian community in Surrey, is a successful anchor, presenter and radio personality. He has hosted prominent events in British Columbia and India including Sundown Goa Fest, Mika Nite, and Indian Premier League (IPL). Shah is currently a radio jockey on Spice Radio where he hosts the show Spicy Cha with Shah, while also working as an anchor/presenter for various events in and around the Lower Mainland.
Known for his positive attitude and energy, Shah explains that it’s not always easy to be in host-mode all the time, “Fighting with situations on the inside but smiling and being energetic on the outside has never been easy.” Despite the tougher aspects of his profession, he has been able to rise to the occasion and make his mark in the industry.
Shah was brought up in a middle-class family in Chandigarh, India. Although financial difficulties created a turbulent home environment, his childhood was very enjoyable and his family was close-knitted and loving. He never expected to work in the media industry. “Being from a middle class family, I never thought I’d be doing anything big. I just wanted to get a good job and start earning money as soon as possible,” he explains.
The talented personality ended up finding his way into the media industry without even trying. Shah, one day unknowingly interchanged his helmet with someone else. When he went to exchange helmets, the other person turned out to be an event manager; this manager ended up introducing Shah to the media industry. “The helmet exchange incident brought me into media and my interest in the field continued to grow as I gained popularity and became a local celebrity,” he adds.
Over his 10 years in the media industry, Shah has achieved many milestones, including television appearances on Zee Etc. Punjabi for the globally popular show Campus Punjabi, winning the title Mr. North India in 2004, appearing in the Hindi film 2 Nights in Soul Valley (2012), and much more. When asked what his best career moment is, he responds, “Each and every show I do is the most important one for me. They’re all very close to my heart, from road and television shows to big star nights.”
Shah loves hosting because of the public interaction aspect. “When a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people responds back to you, it is a heavenly feeling.”
The love and support of his family and friends as well as his honest and hard work has helped Shah achieve success. He also believes that his patience, fighting spirit, and passion for work contributed strongly. “My mom used to say that this industry was for rich people, but I didn’t take it seriously, although I later realized it. Fortunately I was able to get into the system and make my own place,” shares Shah, revealing that his dream has always been to be a successful actor, anchor and television personality, as well as a successful son, brother, and future husband and father.
His advice to others interested in the media industry is to get an education, respect those around you, have patience, and always continue to sharpen your talent.
