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Those were the days, my friend!

INDEPENDENCE SPECIAL/ ENTERTAINMENT

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Abhilasha Ojha New Delhi
Last Updated : Feb 05 2013 | 1:36 AM IST
There might be greater choice today, but what's its point with such dismal fare?
 
He's the scriptwriter behind shows like Karamchand, Kachi Dhoop, Tara, Campus, besides Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and more recently, Virruddh and Thodi Si Zameen, Thoda Sa Aasman. Kamlesh Pandey, a veteran film writer, recently co-wrote Aamir Khan's hit Rang De Basanti.
 
In a candid talk with Abhilasha Ojha, he gets nostalgic about the entertainment industry's old times.
 
You've been part of the industry since the late '70s. What has been the biggest change in the industry?
 
At the cost of sounding cynical, it is a very selfish and unethical industry. The organisers of IIFA, a prestigious annual film awards function, promise to raise money for industry workers every year.
 
But god alone knows what happens to all the money. One of my friends, Surendra Mohan, a director of the '70s, has been missing since the past five-six months. When I last spoke to him, he said he was disillusioned with the Indian film industry. After so many years of celebrating Indian entertainment, it's time to address the real issues.
 
What about television?
 
The golden era of Indian television, unlike the films, has already come and gone. We only see trash now. There were great stories told on Indian television with serials like Tamas (a landmark for Indian TV), Buniyaad, Hum Log and Chanakya.
 
When I wrote Karamchand, I earned around Rs 8,000 per month. Today, writers earn Rs 3-4 lakh per month. Budgets for TV shows were meagre too.
 
Today, each episode of a serial has a budget of Rs 4-5 lakh. Unlike today, there was no fear of generating TRPs for shows earlier. That's one reason why directors and writers took risks and made memorable serials.
 
Going back in time, what's the one memory you have of Indian television?
 
I particularly remember rushing to my neighbour's house which had the only black and white TV set in the entire colony. We used to watch Marathi sitcoms, Chaaya Geet (a film-song-based show) besides the regular films that used to be shown on TV. It was such a treat.
 
I remember following Parikrama, a talk show by Kamleshwar (noted Hindi writer who passed away early this year) very seriously during the time of Emergency. That show had a major impact on me.
 
RADIO: The journey from classical music to nonstop prattle.
 
Shuchi Bansal
 
Imagine the brand equity of an organisation that employed artistes, musicians and writers such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, T K Jairam, Sadaat Hasan Manto, Krishan Chander, Upendranath Ashk and others. That's exactly what All India Radio was all about in the 1940s and '50s. It has come a long way since and is no longer the only radio broadcaster in the country, which now has some 100 private FM radio stations.
 
Radio in India precedes independence. In 1927, Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) launched a station in Bombay. However, IBC soon went into liquidation and the Indian State Broadcasting Service was launched, later renamed AIR in 1936.
 
At the time of independence, there were six radio stations in India and three in Pakistan. AIR was used mostly for public service and to promote classical and folk music through the 1950s. In 1952, Pandit Ravi Shankar was appointed to conduct the country's first radio orchestra.
 
Listeners who yearned for entertainment turned to Radio Ceylon that ran a commercial service for India.
 
To arrest the decline in AIR's listenership, Vividh Bharti was launched in 1957 and allowed to play film music. It was only in 1967, though, that AIR allowed commercials and churned out popular shows like Jai Mala, Hawa Mahal and Chhayageet. It created unforgettable radio voices like Devaki Nandan Pandey for news, Jasdev Singh for cricket commentary and Meville D' Mello for the 26th January parade.
 
"With colour TV transmission in India, radio lost the battle to the small screen," says radio consultant Sunil Kumar. "Partly, its equity was eroded during the Emergency when people tuned into BBC and Voice of America," he adds.
 
FM may have won back audiences, but for some, the finest hour of radio is over.

 
 

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First Published: Jul 25 2007 | 12:00 AM IST

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