Gitanjali Aiyar and the Quiet Grace of Early Doordarshan

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Portrait of Doordarshan newsreader Gitanjali Aiyar
Gitanjali Aiyar, one of the most recognisable faces of early Doordarshan news

This takes us back to the time when Doordarshan began its broadcasts in the 1970s. I was reminded of those years by the recent passing of Gitanjali Aiyar. She was 71.

In an interview in 2020, she spoke about how, from the age of six, she was deeply drawn to the voices on radio. At home, the family would stop everything to listen to the news, with her father insisting on complete silence. She was influenced by the clarity and diction of newsreaders like Pamela Singh and Surajit Sen, and this gradually shaped her love for the medium.

She went on to study drama, trained at the National School of Drama, and eventually followed her dream into broadcasting. At that time, her children were very young and barely understood what their mother did. For them, it simply meant that she had gone out to work. Outside, however, she became widely recognised and much admired.

The Doordarshan studios of those days were very simple — a table, a chair, and the familiar logo in the background. She recalled that once, while reading the news, a cat walked across the set. Even mice were not uncommon. Teleprompters were just being introduced, and before that, news was read from printed sheets.

One remark she made reflects the training and neutrality expected of newsreaders in those days. While acknowledging that many present-day anchors are capable, she felt they should avoid projecting personal opinions while delivering the news.

In the same vein, her closing message was simple and relevant: success and popularity should not go to one’s head. One is a “star” only while reading the news; outside the studio, one is like anyone else.

A small aside, and a rather interesting one.

Not many may know that Gitanjali Aiyar (Gitanjali Ambegaonkar) was married to Swaminathan S. Aiyar, the economist, journalist, and columnist. They later separated amicably, maintaining mutual respect. He subsequently married Shahnaz Anklesaria, and in an unusual gesture, adopted her surname as well. He became Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar, while she became Mrs Anklesaria Aiyar.

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