My First Color TV Experience
Forget the Internet. There was a time in India when even Television was scarce. This was the time when Doordarshan(DD) was King. Daily entertainment on TV meant watching the Krishi Darshan (information show for farmers), Sansad Samachar (parliament news) and English/Hindi News. Wednesdays were for "Chitrahaar"(4-5 Movies songs) at 8:00 PM and Sundays for Hindi Movies at 5:30 PM.
This was about the time when I first laid my eyes on a Color TV. It was at Shankaranathan Uncle's house. He was an elderly man who was a bachelor by choice due to a heartbreak in his younger days.
So anyway, there I was watching the opening ceremony of the Asian Games(Delhi 1982). It was a small television but large enough for my small eyes. The color setting on his TV set was on the max (he probably did not know how to reduce the color). He had darkened the room and the net effect was that everything appeared extra bright and colorful. The opening ceremony of the Asian Games in 1982 itself was a colorful event, made all the more colorful on Uncle's TV set.
So there I was, sitting in the dark, looking at the wonder in front of my eyes. Never had anything fascinated me so much than those few hours in front of that TV. Incidently, the theme song of the Asian Games was called "Swagatam, Shubha Swagatam", which translated means "Welcome, Auspicious Welcome" (the translation could be a bit off). Welcome, indeed.
The pest that I was, I lingered on even after that for the TV movie of the week - "Geet Gaata Chal". The image of the actor Sachin singing the title song as the title credits rolled are still fresh in my mind.
At that time I was 8 years old and these were the most wonderous images that I had ever seen.
This was about the time when I first laid my eyes on a Color TV. It was at Shankaranathan Uncle's house. He was an elderly man who was a bachelor by choice due to a heartbreak in his younger days.
So anyway, there I was watching the opening ceremony of the Asian Games(Delhi 1982). It was a small television but large enough for my small eyes. The color setting on his TV set was on the max (he probably did not know how to reduce the color). He had darkened the room and the net effect was that everything appeared extra bright and colorful. The opening ceremony of the Asian Games in 1982 itself was a colorful event, made all the more colorful on Uncle's TV set.
So there I was, sitting in the dark, looking at the wonder in front of my eyes. Never had anything fascinated me so much than those few hours in front of that TV. Incidently, the theme song of the Asian Games was called "Swagatam, Shubha Swagatam", which translated means "Welcome, Auspicious Welcome" (the translation could be a bit off). Welcome, indeed.
The pest that I was, I lingered on even after that for the TV movie of the week - "Geet Gaata Chal". The image of the actor Sachin singing the title song as the title credits rolled are still fresh in my mind.
At that time I was 8 years old and these were the most wonderous images that I had ever seen.
posted by Shailesh Nair | 7:17 AM
2 Comments:
I so really remember this.I was facinated.Didn't even know that colors could actually be adjusted on TV.God Bless Swaminathan uncles soul.Its still so vivid a memory don't we will ever forget that.good one shailu
Chechi
Really good one,Shailu.
WE can really identify with this.Tho' Our first time Tv experience was with Indira Gandhi's cremation.We cried our eyes out,coz' everyone was.This is ma's & our fav.. sidduisms is dad's.
U write well.keep going.
Menons,Hyd.
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