Having come a long way, this multi-talented celebrity has completed 26 years in the UAE and is currently the Director of Media Relations at UAE Exchange. As Day of Dubai breaksinto his daily tight schedule, Moideen Koya is ready to unravel the stories and struggles of the past. Bitter Times and a Budding Talent Moideen Koya was born in a poor family and faced numerous difficulties right from early childhood. He hails from a small village called Naduvannur in Kozhikode, Kerala. Owing to the poverty that hovered over the family, Moideen Koya had to go through tough times at an early age. During those tough times, I found solace in art. That was my maiden step to the world of Art and Literature. My teachers timely response to my interests helped nurture my talent right from a tender stage. I largely owe to my great teachers, namely, Namboodiri Sir and MG Sir among many others who have backed me to come out of the shell and express myself. Moideen Koya was not only into art or drawing. During his schooldays, Moideen showed a keen interest in all art forms including drama, elocution, writing and drawing. Nevertheless, he was also an outstanding student when it came to academics. He was able to manage both academics and co-curricular activities without compromising either, which led him to becoming the President of Balajanasakhyam later. He has also received the Indian Presidents Award for Best Scout. After high school, he opted for Technical Education, pursuing Electronics. His performance at the campus interview landed him at a job in Bangalore where he worked as a Service Engineer for almost one and a half years. Moving on Strong, Stronger While I was working in Bangalore, I had the golden chance to travel around India. This was a great experience. It helped me learn and explore the world around me. I consider travelling a great mode of learning life. Later on I was appointed at Malayala Manorama, a leading newspaper in Kerala. Here again I was in the technical department. During my 7 years of working with Malayala Manorama, I got a great level of exposure to media from the place." "During these years I was very much into art. I was involved in Shastra Sahithya Parishad. Meanwhile, I tried a hand in street plays as well. All these experiences opened me opportunities to understand the world around me. It kindled the leader in me. At this time I was invited to Akashwani as a Casual Artist. I presented various programmes there, mainly those related to drama and literature. Meanwhile, I got married. My wife has been a great support in my life since then. Crossing the Oceans, for a New Beginning Being the eldest child in the family, I had little time to fancy my love for art. I had to earn the daily bread. Eventually, I flew to the UAE. For almost 1 year I worked in a company as a service engineer. But then, fate had different plans for me and I landed in Ras Al Khaimah Radio as a Casual RJ. Subsequently, I went on to become the Programme Manager at Umm Al Quwain Radio. I was happy that I had finally landed in a job that went hand-in-hand with my passion. Moideen Koya has played a vital role in changing the very nature of radio channels, bringing in the until-then-unaccustomed element of listeners interaction into the radio. He made Radio more popular with this revolutionary concept. The renowned Asianet Radio was later started by him where he was the Programme Director for around 3 years. With its convenient mode that enabled seamless interaction for listeners, it came out to become a community radio and peoples favourite. Being an empathetic person driven by the need to serve his people in all possible forms, Moideen Koya used Radio to become one among the common people. He used this as a platform to discuss and share the difficulties faced by people along with an effort to find solutions to these issues. After creating waves with Asianet Radio, Moideen went on to work with Middle East Television as the Programme Director, creating new milestones. Later, he took up the role of an Editor at Arabia Newspaper. Before making it to UAE Exchange, he was the Programme Director (Middle East) for Jeevan TV. Into the Big Screen In 1997, Moideen Koya made his debut in a Malayalam movie Gharshom by PT Kunju Muhammed. The offer came surprisingly enough and I was excited to play a part in the movie. Handling the Chithram film weekly further helped him gain contact with the people in the film industry. Over the years, Moideen Koya has become an indispensable face in almost all Malayalam movies shot in the Gulf. And then, there was no looking back for this great talent. Moideen went on to play many important roles in a number of Malayalam movies including Arabikkadha, Red Wine, Diamond Necklace, Gadhama, King Liar, Fukri, Amoeba, Three Dots, Musafir, Bunty Chor, Uncle, Keniand Pathemari. He has also played lead roles in a number of TV Serials, such as Salamath Caf, Akalathe Ayalkaar, to name a few. One could also see his life-like acting skills in short films like Perfume and Evan & Julia. He is presently waiting for the release of a few movies, one being Director Kamals Pranayameenukalude Kadal and another Manoj Kanas Kenchira as well as Rasheed Parakkals Sameer. A Peoples Man Nonetheless, Moideen Koya is not only a film star or an RJ, he is much more. He is into TV anchoring, he has also directed a number of stage shows. A prolific writer, he maintains a blog where he jots down his thoughts. Moideen Koya has a very amicable nature which makes him dearer to everyone he meets. Owing to the many bitter experiences that he has faced in his life, Moideen Koya knows the miseries of the less fortunate. This prompts him to do something or the other for them, which is the reason behind his keen interest in public issues.