Signature tune of HAWA MAHAL
Vividh Bharati, the Commercial Broadcasting Service (CBS) of All India Radio, was started in 1957 to compete with already famous Radio Ceylon that used to broadcast popular Hindi film music and had interesting broadcasters - it had Binaca Geet Mala and Ameen Sayani.
So Vividh Bharati came up with a bunch of some great programs like Inse Miliye, Chhaya Geet, Bhule Bisre Geet, Jaimala, Aap Ki Farmaish and Hawa Mahal.
Among these I certainly remember Hawa Mahal. Radio remained quite popular till late 80s and then declined in 90s - Television and Cable proved too powerful a foe. But if you grew up in a power cut prone area, even in late 1990s, often some cold winter night, dinner time, religiously around 8:30PM, was animated by the familiar sounds - the throaty laughs, dry sobs, contemplative Hmmms, irritated Ohhos and intelligent Ahas - coming from a play of Hawa Mahal. Same voices, different plays and a tune that seemed to sing, 'Attention Listeners! I have something important to tell You. An important Story. So listen now...'
