When watching television was a community activity

If you can remember a time when watching television was far from a solitary activity, then you have to admit that you belong to a certain vintage.

Over half a century ago a few fortunate families acquired their first television sets in our country and they immediately became the most popular people in the places where they lived. In our multi-storeyed government quarters in the capital of India, there were probably just a handful of homes that could boast of a television set at that time and I’m sure they often had occasion to regret their acquisition.

Their privacy was severely curtailed; their mealtimes went awry; they had no idea who would ring their bell and ask politely to be allowed to watch the movie of the week; their furniture and cushions and rugs had to be rearranged time and again until they probably gave up trying to keep a neat and tasteful home …

In our “gang” of school-going girls, only one had a television set at home. Her parents, fortunately, were welcoming, and even when the number of visitors could have filled a mini-theatre, they kept their cool and did not show any of us to the door!

Something unique and enticing

For us, television was something unique and enticing. Several programmes cast a spell on us and we made it a point to troop into our friend’s house on at least two evenings a week: to watch songs from Hindi movies and catch the Sunday Hindi movie. Also, once we had got over our desire to be physically present at the annual Republic Day parade, we watched it on their television, along with most of the neighbourhood.

We didn’t worry about our mealtimes when we were watching television. Food was not a priority and I don’t think we would have noticed if someone in the crowd that settled on the ground or on the carpet bit into something surreptitiously to keep them going until the programme ended. None of us, however, ever committed the cardinal sin of walking in with any snack or drink that could create a mess when passed around — and it was easy to avoid doing that because none of us had the means to indulge ourselves, anyway!

We just sat there — OK, let’s admit it, we sometimes had a bit of a workout as we wrestled to try and get a better view — and we whispered and commented and shared our thoughts about what would happen next or we sang along and had a jolly good time!

On occasion, when a scary movie was screened, we huddled together and shut our eyes, hoping that one of the gang would be brave enough to watch everything and bring us up to speed later. And it had to be much later or else we couldn’t make our way home alone with all those tense scenes of escaped criminals and susceptible victims replaying in our minds!

It all sounds idyllic, especially in these days of pandemic-induced social isolation, but it probably wasn’t.

Did we wonder why there was no television in our own home while our friend had one? Did she wonder whether our affection for her was real and not television-driven? Did our parents squirm in embarrassment as we made a nuisance of ourselves in someone else’s house? Did her parents shake their heads in despair as we hung on in their home right up to the end of the movie, however long it was?

Whatever it was, today, as we settle down with our meal, each in front of a different screen sometimes, watching a programme of individual choice, driven by the many subscriber channels and OTT platforms, we look back on those days of less choice and more community participation with nostalgia.

Those were the days: with friends around and much to talk about — before, during and after each broadcast!

— Cheryl Rao is a writer based in India