When any team toured India, radios did extra hours. What Live telecasts of cricket matches of today were Ball-by-ball commentaries of Cricket Test Matches of bygone days. But the one that attracted most was the Sunday afternoon show of вЂњsound trackвЂќ of Kannada films: members of family would sit close to the radio (with volume blaring!) to listen. Programmes of AIR Bangalore that were much sought after were вЂњpakshinotaвЂќ (birdвЂ™s eye view of the programmes for the week every Sunday morning), Pradesha Samachara (Area news), Kannada news and Chitrageete (film songs). See picture of my father at a radio studio in the early 50s. While there, he has recorded many songs of films and one particular film he used to mention was 'Phakheezah' in particular and he used to narrate how Lata Mangeshkar rehearsed before a recording. He later worked as a sound recordist with distinction in the film industry in Bombay between 19 under a few reputed companies before he had to return to Mysore. I must add here that my father who did his Diploma in Sound Engineering in one of the earliest batches at the Technical Institute in Bangalore in 1949, worked at the Radio Station for a short period after his passing the diploma. Here is a picture of the hotel, Meenakshi Bhavan, which was famous for Binaca Geet Mala!! Meenakshi Bhavan as it is today, in Krishnamurthypurm. Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Broadcasting Corporation also was famous for its broadcast of hindi songs at convenient times.

Not every home had a radio in the 1950s or 60s. Its вЂњBinaca Geet malaвЂќ every Wednesday was a great hit, due to its presentation by Amin Sayani whose voice still echoes! Hotels became famous not because of its preparations, but people flocked due to the presence of a radio there. Besides, вЂњVividh BharthiвЂќ was tuned on Shortwave for its transmission of Hindi film songs. The first broadcast was unofficially made in 1927 itself. All India Radio, Bangalore was the most tuned in station even though Mysore was where the first radio broadcast was made in India in 1936. The radio was on every morning and evening, without fail. Connected to it was a 10-feet long copper-wire mesh antenna near the ceiling that also helped support cobwebs! There was a special wall shelf out of reach of children on which this was placed in the living room and was operated only by the elders. Vacuum tubes have been replaced but I have seen to it that it still functions. It has undergone minor repairs and sat in my father's friend Adam Khan's Silicon Electronics for two years unattended. Almost fifty years later it remains a working model. My earliest memories recall a Made-in-England 8-band Bush radio, a gift from a family friend, from the famed Paints dealer on Ashoka Road, Salar Masood & Sons. The sound from the radio has always fascinated me.

Play savi nenapu kannada old song