During the 1960s, radio was the most reliable medium of entertainment and information for Indian middle-class families. This small device not only connected homes, but also played an important role in taking Hindi cinema to far away places. While cinema used to create scenes on the screen, radio used to convey the same scenes to the masses through sound.
When did radio broadcasting begin?
Regular radio broadcasting in India began in the late 1930s. Around the same time in 1931, the first talking film Alam Ara was released. This was the period when cinema and radio started their journey together. In the initial years, the audience was crazy about film songs and reviews. In the 1950s, when the glamor of films was increasing but their reach was limited, Radio Ceylon and Vividh Bharati took film music to new heights of popularity by taking it to every home.
A major turning point came in 1952, when the then Information and Broadcasting Minister B.V. Keskar banned the broadcast of film songs on All India Radio. He believed that these songs were inspired by Western influence and were obscene. But this decision had the opposite effect. After this ban, Radio Ceylon’s program Binaka Geetmala became very popular and Indian film music got global recognition.
Amin Sayani became the identity of this golden era, if his voice had resonated with the address of “brothers and sisters”, the entire country would have been connected to the radio. His programs made film songs an emotional experience. Radio played a big role in the popularity of singers like Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. Radio brought those voices to those homes where cinema halls did not have access.
mention of radio
Even today, mention of radio is found alive in cinema. Radio played an important part of the story in films like Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Tumhari Sulu. Actress Vidya Balan had said that radio is a medium where the face is not visible, but the emotions reach directly to the heart.
The attractiveness of radio has not diminished even in the digital age and podcasts. Gulzar once said that listening to a song on the radio is like reading a letter from an old friend. Even today, programs like Yaadon Ka Idiot Box prove that technology may change but the magic of voice and story always remains.
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