Nostalgic take on radio

UNESCO has listed a documentary film by two Pune-based filmmakers for this year’s World Radio Day celebration. It is celebrated every year on February 13. The theme for the year is, ‘A century of informing, educating and entertaining’.

The documentary film, ‘My Radio, My Life’, directed by Bidit Roy and Makarand Waikar, is an interesting and nostalgic take on radio, most often referred to as the miracle of the 20th century. 

The film has also received awards and nominations at many film festivals across the world.

The documentary features stories of radio enthusiasts and experiences of radio announcers and presenters. A Marathi man’s quest to revive his old wooden radio that he bought from his first salary, and a radio restoration workshop and museum run by Uday Kalaburgi in Bengaluru are explored in the film. Tamil writer Nallathambi gets emotional and nostalgic as he speaks about his experience announcing the Apollo II landing, on Voice of America (Tamil service).

The film also gives insight into radio services like the HAM radio. Hyderabad-based Bharathi Prasad calls it a ‘scientific hobby’. She had used Ham radio for relief activities during the 2004 Tsunami in Andaman islands.

We also see a school in Mumbai creating a radio play set 100 years from now. Boomers and Gen X get nostalgic about the Binaca Geet Mala that used to air on Radio Ceylon and the Jaimala programme for soldiers. 

Waikar says he wanted to capture the golden era of radio. “While radio may remain in museums for eternity, the emotions attached to it will die with the people. That’s why we wanted to capture it,” he says.

Waikar, who archives scientific information, came up with the idea of making the documentary in 2020 during the pandemic. Along with Roy, and Simantinee Bhagwat, creative producer of the film, they researched for about a year and came up with names of nine people to feature in the film. “The criteria was to look for people who are emotionally, passionately and nostalgically connected to radio,” says Simantinee.

Watercolour illustrations by Yogesh Lokhande are weaved within the narrative and to the nostalgia. “We wanted to recreate the scenes but then we thought it may look artificial and commercial. So we took their photographs and recreated their experiences on canvas,” says Roy. The illustrations were made on canvas and later scanned and digitised.

After its launch on World Radio Day, the team plans to release the film online.