Radio gaga....

Around Christmas when I met a friend of mine at her maternal home, the first thing that caught my eye in their house was their Murphy Radio of yesteryears. It definitely brought a smile and lit up my eyes because my association with radio is nearly as old as I am. To add to the above is the latest episode of Riya's retro on Gaana which is titled "Radio Sa Rishta". So, I decided I must share my reflections on radio, probably an inseparable part of many of our lives.

The earliest memory of radio goes to the time in the 80's when my amma would eagerly listen to Ceylon every evening when Tamil songs would be aired. (I am having goosebumps reliving that time.) Later amma began using her transistor to listen to her Chhaya Geet at night which was her lullaby.  So, several songs that used to be played in chhaya geet remain etched in my memory. My grandfather would use his transistor to listen to cricket commentary and the news during times of power cuts in Kolkatta.

Having grown up in a joint family, we cousins were crazy about several musical programmes that were aired on the radio during the beginning of the FM era. Among our favourites were the countdown shows and Love is in the Air. During those teenage years listening to the radio host Jimmy help sort people's love issues and play popular English love songs would make us go bonkers. (His voice could make any teen weak in their knees) Oh yes, along with listening to the songs we would also have a notepad to write down song lists to be made into a recorded cassette for self listening or for gifting. 

The time I was introduced to whole night non stop music was on my stay at Faridabad with my dear friend Sowmya. Till dawn we would share a medley of emotions of our teenage life with  soothing bollywood music giving us company and also teaching us to enjoy the many facets of various relationships. 

Thankfully when I lived in the hostel for 2 years both my roommates shared the love for radio and background music. So, it helped us bond very fast and made living together fun. Soon, my little brother began a job as a radio jockey at a radio station and there has been no looking back for him as he is extremely popular as RJ Arvind in Kolkatta. 

I certainly missed FM during my stay in Surat because the best songs are played in FM in the metro cities. But, Vividh Bharathi has always been there to give me company in the kitchen in every phase of life, when I learnt cooking, when I would prepare toddler food, when I would prepare exotic dishes for my foodie family, when I would prepare food for guests and even now when my kids join me while cooking.

So, what is it that makes the radio so exciting?  Yes it's the variety, the suspense about what would be the next song; the familiarity of the songs; the silent bond we form with the host; the advertisements which irritate sometimes but teach us tolerance; the fact that it gives us constant company but never takes away our time and the routine radio programmes makes us believe in the normalcy of life.

TV and OTT platforms have certainly entered our lives and taken a lot of our time, but the radio can never be replaced ever, just as offline teaching can never be replaced by online teaching. Radio is a permanent fixture in most kitchens and is the best companion for the house chef. 

So, what are you waiting for?? Switch on the radio and share your radio memories in the comments section. (Please write your name too)