I just occasioned to fly past on a search for Hum Log characters and their presence in the art scene today. My curiosity got the better of me when my Best Half told me that Manoj Pahwa (Sharman Joshi’s Doctor neighbour in Life in a Metro) was Badki’s boyfriend and half his current size.
The written word has never been my forte, but I have time and again spoken about “the DD Era” with friends, family etc. complete with voice over and musical mimicry. Each time the scent of Déjà vu is exceptional.
That was an Era when even Krishi Darshan used to be seen by all and sundry. I was in Punjab where a vernacular version of the above was titled “Mera Pind Mera
Khet” literally translated as My Village My Farm. I still have to figure out what benefit could a seven year old derive from the knowledge of what to feed buffaloes in the mating season.
In those days the idiot box was wooden primarily and was encased in a wooden console-to protect it from the elements (Eeks!). It had two or more Antennas on its head giving it a look of a Giant Praying Mantis with its prolonged feelers. If that was not enough, another antenna was perched on the roof top and used to provide us with kites which would have been cut during competitions in the rainy season around August. In far-flung areas a booster device was also used to increase the signal and get the image from worse to at least so bad to be able to differentiate your Dharmendras from Hema Malinis.
There were a host of programs and serials but what I remember as most annoying is the programs bites like Gumshuda Ki Talaash. It used to be broadcast so many times a day that a friend had crammed up the complete address and phone number-verbatim…Don’t ask me the reason. I for one used to find every second person I was introduced to resembling some character displayed but held my horses for fear of social ostracization.
Another sore point was the quintessential “Rukavat Ke Liye Khed Hai” i.e. Sorry for Interruption. It was like the zero of the Roulette Table which would turn up just about when the suspense was building up. And No Sir, the movie did not start at the same point it had been interrupted. That gave food for some thought to budding playwrights.
Chitrahaar was an all time favourite with people of all ages. The name of the movie was printed on it so as to impart valuable cine-information to us lesser beings. It was best enjoyed with Dinner at 8 PM and soon after all good kids used to hit the bed.
The epitome of entertainment was the venerable Feature Film every Sunday. It was also sadly divided into many parts, all but due to news headlines: There was no change in the news at each interruption but the face of the viewers did get slightly more crumpled as it progressed. Remember: “Feature Film Ka Shesh Bhag Hindi Samacharon Ke Baad”
The TV broadcast was only on one Channel and it was numbered Four (Whatever happened to counting?). That too was only for two hours starting on 6 pm with a DD logo and music followed by the familiar VIBGYOR screen to adjust the brightness and contrast- Colour was still on the way!
Progress came with Channel 7 on just one blessed day a week. Then came cable TV. And many channels were lodged. The ability of the programmes to entertain was in their nascent stage. At this juncture, advertisements were considered the best source of fun-we were having a laugh at someone else’s expense (pun intended).
TV will never be the same now, but the Golden Age of television will always be associated with the remote black and white wooden box which quenched the thirst of the complete neighbourhood with endless pots of tea and pakodas to top it up.
