Doordarshan Days, Kamleshwar, and the Media Lens

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Portrait of Hindi writer and television personality Kamleshwar
Kamleshwar, a key voice from the early years of Doordarshan

During a WhatsApp chat, a friend shared a post mentioning several names associated with the early days of Doordarshan. We remember them today not merely out of nostalgia, but because they represented a certain standard — they gave us content of real quality.

She mentioned Kamleshwar, who was among the finest of that group. He belonged to the top league of Hindi writers, and this gave his work a distinct literary edge. He also served as editor of well-known Hindi publications such as Dainik Bhaskar, and in that role contributed to the revival of Hindi magazines like Sarita. Not many know that Gulzar’s film Aandhi was based on his novel Kaali Aandhi. He later went on to write scripts and dialogues for films like Mausam, Chhoti Si Baat, and Rang Birangi.

In those early years, our media was under significant Soviet influence. There were attempts to shape Indian public opinion during the Cold War, particularly by promoting anti-US sentiment. This influence extended across journalism and media, and could be seen in radio, television, and print. We were young then, but became more aware of this ideological leaning later.

If you recall Russi Karanjia’s Blitz tabloid, it was often seen as a mouthpiece for such views, carrying largely left-leaning themes. It combined these with sensational news and bold presentation to widen its reach.

Coming back to Kamleshwar, one can see this social orientation in his programme Parikrama, which gave voice to the common man. There was also Kamgar Vishwa, aired close to prime time. Shows like Nukkad, Hum Log, and Mungerilal ke Haseen Sapne focused on the lives of ordinary people.

Even today, it sometimes feels that this ideological influence on our media has not entirely faded.

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