1976.. that’s too nostalgic.. waiting for 8 o’clock Wednesday evening.. finely simmering the SW Radio to tune in to Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation.. yes its going to be Amin Sayani on the air (with his magical voice)…. Playing the top ‘n’ hot 20 Hindi songs.. right from SHOR, Abhimaan, to the Kapoors and the Chopras and so on., as we kept stepping on time during late 70s.

Usually, we had families gathered, with kids busy lobbying and betting with the expected countdown this week.

With a lot of people coming back from west, disseminated a startling future of capitalization that we were yet to witness…like seeing movies at home (TV), TV with color screen, music on tape and records, and even computers. For us, it was something crisp going to happen.. a dream come true, taking us out of all this boredom. The USA and USSR were busy wooing us to influence in their culture and civilization, by free magazines at doorsteps every week e.g. SPAN, SPUTNIK.. some of them that I can recall now.

During early 80s, things did start changing, and we shifted listening to DELHI- B everyday 10 o’ clock in the night.. BORN IN THE USA, HELLO…. from MADONNA to MICHAEL JACKSON to….. yes the new sun was awaiting for a dawn (after taking its toll in the west?) .. stretching our night time to midnights…

As Doordarshan picked up, Chitrahaar was another passion on the Wednesdays, and later Fridays as well. Hum Log, and later Buniyaad soaps, added a new dish in the supper. Ramayan has its own story, with curfew- like situation on Sunday mornings.. and the elderly lot sitting hands closed in front of Arun Govil (the actor for SHRIRAM in the serial)!

Then OHHHHH, came the VCR… the technology that blasted our culture and home science. We were usually awake.. running from home to home.. scouting where there is night out today??! It may be Mithun, or Bappi da’s stuff… but hey that’s what was my favvy pastime. Going to school in that hangover…with the crush on a quick time actors, images running from ear to ear during the Geography class…. More was a prestige issue to see the movie first day first show as soon as the cassette was available. Media was catching on us.. like slow poison. Yes.. my world was changing everyday..

Gradually, we got in to the cable business and now the Dish… first captured our recreation time… now even challenging judiciary decisions! That’s the good part of it.. but the other side of the table has made it very monotonous through soaps, chirpy news channels, share market, cartoons, song and dance competitions… sort of trendy. It has befitted in our lives taking it more to a mechanical way of living and more commercial outlook.

The only thing that has not changed is Doordarshan, cos’ it never changed even today. However, its surprising to know the latest stats that 80% of India sees only DD even today.. but that section is living the same life we lived in those golden days…with those chaupal gatherings, saanjha choolhas etc., and I have recently witnessed all this in a village near Delhi.

Yes, we have lost our personal time to media.. and is affecting our relationships at home, as well as social circle which seems almost lost now. This includes deficit of all physical activities (kids prefer to play soccer and tennis on Playstations), encouragement to fast food culture (we are short of time to give more to the idiot box).. we seldom meet with the neighbours and friends but prefer to talk on phone, chatting etc.,,, even if we decide to meet, it is better to go to some restaurant for another fast food meal over liquor etc. The frustration is increasing seeing more crime through media, and we are resorting to counseling with medical agencies for habit illnesses (blood pressure, diabetes), as well as psychic problems.

Do we learn something from all this, before it is too late?