The Golden Era

Just the other day as I was switching channels incessantly more as a habit than anything else I heard it, and it brought back a flood of memories. The familiar sound of the trumpet that used to come at the end of every episode of ‘Nukkad’. That was enough an impetus for me to skip right back in time and dwell on those golden days of Indian Television. The generation younger to me may take this as yet another case of senility tom toming about their good old days. Well, may be, but for me it really meant a world which was different and endearing.

The sound brought with it a breeze of memories that were tucked under the expanse of time that had passed in the meanwhile. I began reminiscing about all those wonderful serials and programs that used to come on DD and more importantly the prominence that it had in our lives then.

I remember ‘Nukkad’. I recall each and every character as if I were related to them. Guru, Radha, Khopadi, Ghanshu, Ganpat, Hari, Kadarbhai’s hotel. I vividly remember the episode when Hari is riding the bicycle continuously for days so that he could set a record and get some money and how each and every person in the Nukkad cheers and wheedles him to go on. And how finally as he is about to go for his last lap he collapses bringing down with him not only his dreams but also that of each and every person in the Nukkad. Why just the Nukkad? Dreams and hope of each and every one of us watching it. Truly a moment etched out in time.

Then there was Malgudi Days. A village that would have been any other village in any part of India. R.K. Narayan’s stories were sliced out of each of our lives.

Tuesday nights at nine we used to have dinner watching Girish Karnad and Vinnie Parnajpe in Sara jaha hamara or was it Hum paanch ek dal ke?

The cast and crew of Nukkad teamed up again for Intezaar (And then later for Circus which was also amazing in its nuances, but not as good as Nukkad though) which was again a wonderful series depicting the lives of people who worked on a railway station.

Then there was Shahrukh’s ‘Fauji’ where my favourite charcter was the guy who used to say, ‘ I say Buddy…’

Mohan Gokhale had us in splits as Mr. Yogi. And watching Anjan Srivastav and Bharati Achrekar in the Wagle household one couldn’t help but identify with their predicaments and their quirks. Mungerilal and his dreams had the entire nation dreaming with him. Although I don’t remember seeing it properly but I do remember that, ‘30 years ka experience hai’ dialogue of Satish Shah in Yeh jo hai Zindagi.

Kathasagar and Ek kahani were two programs that I used to swear by. Wonderful literary gems brought to life by best of the directors like – Basu Chatterjee, Gulzar etc. Stories of O. Henry, Maupassant, Chekov, Gorky, Premchand…Oh….those were the days…

Who can forget Om Puri in Tamas? Or Nasserudin Shah as Mirza Ghalib? Salim Ghouse in Chunauti?

While I was around 12 , I had this huge crush on Punam Sareen who used to come in Lekh Tandon’s “Phir wahi Talaash” also starring Neelima Azim. I used to see it religiously every Sunday at 12 noon.

While Renuka Shahane and Siddharth Kak took us to a journey across India in Surabhi, Prannoy Roy updated us with the happenings in the world in The World this Week.

Then there was Rajni and Udaan who were so progressive that when I look at these current Saas bahu sagas I feel as if I have traveled back in time. I still remember the title track of Rajni, “Ladki hai ek naam Rajni hai…. Chorus: Rajni… Rajni… Rajni… Rajni ki ek yeh kahani hai…Dekhi jaha burayi hai jaake waha takrayi hai…”

Byomkesh Bakshi was my hero. For me he was somebody who came closest to my picture of Sherlock Holmes. Then of course there was Karamchand who after every short interval used to ask Kitty for a gajar…hehehe…come to think of it now it was damn funny.

Forget Aahat or Raat Hone ko hai. These serials are paani kam chai in front of Honi Anhone or Kille ka Rahasya. To an extent that the government had to ban Honi Anhonee. For me personally I haven’t seen a more spin chilling series in my life. More so because all the stories shown were claimed to be true stories. The title track of Kille ka Rahasya was a killer! Seriously. I mean I don’t know in what frame of mind the music director must have composed the track; probably he must have been a whacko himself. I don’t know but it was earnestly eerie.

Deepti Naval’s Thoda sa Aasman was a major tearjerker. They don’t do programs like these any more.

One serial that had me completely intrigued was this science fiction series called ‘Indradhanush’. It was about a bunch of youngsters who travel back in time. There were host of other enjoyable programs for kids like Gayab, Fireball, Giant Robot, Ek, Doh , Teen , Char which I was head over heels in love with.

Sunday mornings began with Rangoli in the morning, Walt Disney cartoons at nine then of course came the mythologicals. Then Street Hawk at 11 am. Then at 1 pm was the time to see the news for the hearing impaired followed by a regional language movie. This was the time when I saw the works of Adoor, Kama Hasan, Satyajit Ray, Jabbar Patel and other Indian stalwarts (Although most of it went bouncer at that age!)
Evening was the time for your mega Hindi movie which we used to see sipping on a cup of refreshing chai with Marie biscuits.(I still remember the old Marie ad which had the jingle, ‘Brittania, Brittania, Brittania Marie…I remember this huge family having tea together…I think RajaBundela was there in the ad.)


Apart from Mahabharta and Ramayna, which were the obvious favourites in mythologicals, I was immensely fond of Bharat ek Khoj (I remember the title track of this too, “Shrishti se pehle sat nahi tha, Asat bhi nahi, Antarikha bhi nahi, Akash bhi nahi tha…”) and Chanakya. Later Chandrakanta also made it to the list.

As I sat fondly remembering those wonderful and memorable moments associated with our Indian television I was brought out of my reverie by a jarring voice singing ‘Kahani ghar ghar ki!’

Ya right!