Era Extraordinary : Doordarshan

Do you remember the good ol doordarshan days? Yes the glorious uni channel back in 80s which boasted of fun viewing, relevant stories, no over the top advertisements, definitely no bitchy saas-bahu sagas and most importantly bristling with quality and unadulterated content. Getting all nostalgic I immediately called my sister and we got discussing the momentous era of doordarshan yet again. This post is an ode to what rocked the 80s and some part of the 90s.
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(Image Source :here)

To begin with, how can we forget the logo and the music of doordarshan- a whirling eye going tan aaa a an. Amusing and firmly etched in the mind. The videos promoting national integration and unity in diversity that were aired regularly on DD  were another highlight. I still sing with fondness the 'Ek tithli, anek tithlliyan' ; 'Ek gilhari, anek gilhariyan'. For those uninitiated, see this video of the lovely and thoughtful animation that hold its sway and importance even today.

(Video Courtesy : You tube)
Mile Sur mera tumhara is another wonderful video that instilled in us a sense of love and pride for our country. Coming back to the shows on doordarshan, the serials back then were a plethora of myriad human emotions that kept the viewers glued to their seat. Be it comedy shows like flop show or dekh bhai dekh , family drama like humlog, gul gulshan gulfam, educational programs like surabhi Doordarshan was unparalleled. Here are a few shows which me and my family enjoyed thoroughly.

• Malgudi Days:- Based on the work of R K Narayan, the series was a delightful watch.
• Flop Show :- Jaspal Bhatti- Bless his soul; he the heart & brain behind the show made the show a rollicking ride.I can never forget the mad mad capers delighting us with all the household drama and corporate hungama. I especially remember the 'meeting' episode where the point of intense discussion was where to place the samasos and the tea cups. Hillarious :)
• Byomkesh Bakshi :-  Our very own Sherlock Holmes. Rajit Kapur a stunner rocked the role of a detective and I remember watching the show only to drool over the dhoti clad hottie revel in the whodunits.
• Wagle ki duniya- The common man’s struggles and triumphs so brilliantly portrayed by Anjan Srivastav
• Ramayan & Mahabharat :- The epic fables was the highlight of Sundays. Such was its popularity that Arun Govil & Nitish Bharadwaj (playing Ram & Krishna) respectively were elevated to God status
• Nukkad :- Can we forget guru,radha,ghanpat ? The characters around the street corner and their daily trials and tribulations were lapped up for its sensitivity.
• Surabhi :- Siddarth Kak & Renuka Shahane became a household name with this series. The longest running cultural trails spanning the length and breath of India was a treat to watch each and every week. 

Besides the above, Circus & Fauji that bought Sharukh to the attention of Indian audience, Buniyaad, Yeh jo hai zindagi, Zabaan Sambhal Ke, Chitrahaar, Superhit Muqabla,Oshin and many more captivated the audience with their unique charm. These shows holds its relevance even today . In this day & age there are innumerable channels and more and more shows are mushrooming like it's nobody's business but none can match the glorious era of Doordarshan.