Technology was nowhere in 1960s like now. No internet, email, chat (The only chat I remember was Alu Chat!). There was no Television, no weepy Ekta soap operas, (Janta was weeping by the real tears of Meena Kumari instead!). It was also the era of real Hum Aapke Hain joint family system not always a happy one. There used to be conflicts within the joint families which were well captured in celluloid by the family melodramas from the south. There was no privacy and fortunately also no piracy! No iTunes but only vTunes (Valve radio tunes).There was no medium to copy and paste .Also no remix when the original mix itself is so difficult to hear in the vRadio. Oh my god! If you think life would have been terrible in those times, not really so.

       The only communication in the 60s was through post which has become irrelevant now. We used to wait for the VIP the Postman, our only link with the outside world. He used to come in the Bicycle at 10.30am proudly delivering the post to our Neighborhood. Our expectation would be raised by this VIP who would ask us to wait till the evening post having seen a big cover for us in sorting. Who would have written a big cover we wonder, and as hours goes by the tension builds up within the home.

 

     At last in the evening the Hero keeps up the promise and delivers the promised big cover and a bonus post card. We update him on our family developments with a cup of  chai. The eagerly awaited cover was from our uncle who has reviewed RK’s Sangam in 8 pages. There used to be fight amongst family members who should read first .The other post card was from our grand father. We used to get 4K byte of information from that 10 paise postcard written from the top to bottom and also from side to side, to get the most out of that 10 paise. Beyond what we could read, the smart ones could read in between the lines!

 

        We decide to reply our grandfather who must be anxious. So to save one postal day we decide to go to mobile. Folks not the cell phone, but the red postal van called mobile, which used to come at 07.20pm to NageswaraPark. There used to be commotion when the red mail van arrives. It used to stop only for 20 minutes and we used to buy the post card first. Inland letter is luxury and reserved for special occasions! The mobile van has provision to write outside the van with a dim light provided. Just before we finish off, the van used to start moving without any notice. We used to run behind the van and put the letter inside the Box. Mission accomplished! The thrill of replying the same day makes us happy and we buy pockets of roasted peanuts and return home and share the happiness with the family members.We enjoyed the thrill after a day's wait. It was worth waiting for.

 

        That was also the golden era for cricket and not the auction era like now! Players used to get less than 5K per match for representing the country. The only bonus for them was the officer post in a nationalized bank!

 

         The only way to know the cricket score those days was to listen to the radio commentary. Unfortunately the live Broadcast used to be interrupted frequently by news in English and Hindi. The whole of Tamilnadu used to curse the Hindi News Reader, as the news will start at the most interesting moment of the match when the spin trio has started striking blows on Australian batting line up. Score before News will be Australia 12 for 1 and you keep guessing what would have happened in those 15 minutes. Towards the news end, the news reader used to take live to get the latest scores and two new batsmen would be playing then. The suspense would be how many wickets had fallen in those 15 minutes. When the broadcast resumes after the news the score would be 24 for 4 and the thrill experienced would be beyond words.

        What about those Live Test Matches in Chepauk? One month before the test match when the reservations begin we used to go early in the morning to the stadium to get the cheapest 15Rs Gallery Season Tickets. There used to be scary festive atmosphere with so many tents around the stadium and our heart used to sink. We used to offer tips to move a little closer to the counter. After all the anxiety we end up buying the 30Rs Gallery ticket. The relatives and friends outstation are informed about the success story and they all book their train tickets for the D-day.

 

        On the day before the match all the relatives arrive and there used to be a grand family meet. As the seat was not reserved everyone had to leave by first bus at 5 am to reach the stadium. The stand used to open at 8 am and we used to rush inside and block one full row with the blankets. As the stand gets full, we could sell the extra seats at premium. That black money is reserved to buy the afternoon lunch. Just then the net practice starts and the Indian captain would make everyone guessing about the final 11. After seeing the pitch which appears to crack from day one he would decide to have 4 spinners in the final 11. The Australian wickets would start falling from 5^th over when the spinners take over. Excitement continues till the end. Rest day would be badly required not only for players but for us and that day would be family reunion day. At the end of the match the outstation members leave and we cherish the memories till the next Year. It was worth  the excitement.

 

        Let us see the Entertainment Scenario. Only way to listen to new songs was through Radio Ceylon between 8 and 9am.The next time you could hear our favourite song would be atleast 3 days later. Unfortunately this was the condition during the golden era for music. Vividh Bharthi used to broadcast only after the release of the movie and if the song has passed the censorship. There was only one countdown show (Binaca Geet Mala at 8pm Wednesday) only one annual award (Filmfare) and only one weekly magazine (Screen). Inspite of so many handicaps after 40 years the songs are still evergreen unlike the present songs which you can listen more but forget within the next 40 minutes.

 

       Movies will be released in maximum 3 Theatres and the hit or super hit declaration would come after 100 days or 25 Weeks run. During the first month one needs muscle power to see a hit movie. Theatre would have a festive Atmosphere and the first person who manages to see would be the hero of the Colony. The Hero would add his own juicy story to be in the limelight. 

 

     In the 1970s the dream of everyone would be to get the Vespa scooter. There used to be upto 10 years waiting time. It was the License Raj where demand outstripped supply.

 

      Later in the late 80s the motorcycle 100cc revolution started and getting Hero Honda was like “ Book it and forget it!” Any colleague lucky to get the allotment would be the talk of the office for the rest of the week. The whole office used to come down to see the dream vehicle. Also in 80s there had been dramatic changes thanks to introduction of Stereo systems in Audio, Colour Television in Video followed by VCR and FM.

 

      Internet, Email and DVD created a new technological revolution in the 90s creating endless opportunities for growth. Globalization made the world well connected. Now it is mobile revolution. What we have gained through Technology is mind blowing.
 

     The younger generation has everything now in their fingertips. They don’t have to struggle fortunately like the previous generation. Technology has brought wonders.

 

      The psyche of the younger generation however remains the same. The emotional thrill is associated with technology now. When everything is available for them to choose, they are still yearning to enjoy the same thrill. Marketing strategies are nowadays aimed to exploit this psyche by creating the thrill by hype.

 

       Movies like Pirates of the Caribbean or Harry Potter as a marketing technique are released at odd hours and at the middle of the working week defying conventional wisdom. This creates hype about the movie and the children and teenagers queue up outside the movie halls to see their favourite movie like olden days. The thrill is worth skipping the work or school next day!

 

     The Bookstores have lost their relevance and are on decline after internet. However Harry Potter series acted like a renaissance for these bookstores. The same strategy was used by releasing the books at stroke of midnight. It was a masterstroke! Many of the people, who had forgotten the location of the bookstores, were waiting in queue accompanied by their little ones! Without hype there is no life!

 

      Steve Jobs of Apple a genius in innovation is also master in creating hype for his products. The strategy involves releasing new products iPhone and iPod in limited quantities initially, just before the holiday season to create hype with the usual midnight drama. People who had paid a higher price at the launch of the product don’t find cheated when the product price is lowered at the time of release. The thrill is worth the premium price!

 

       So in a nutshell everything had been a struggle in the past. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikhander! But the struggle also made the life interesting. Now with consumer spending being an economic stimulus it is technology which rules.

 

Can the youngsters struggle like their parents in the past?  No way!

 

Can the parents go back to the olden days and live comfortably like before without the present Technology? Honestly No!

 

Can the parents live on Nostalgia while enjoying the present technology and comforts? Why not? 

 

Let us surf the Internet using Google while listening to the songs of  Rafi and Lata of the golden eraand get the best of both worlds!

 

Do you agree? Appreciate your feedback