The Indian age group of 26 and little above has few unforgettable and common memories and undoubtedly some major transitions.
The first few things I recollect is my Dad’s Bajaj Chetak, Mom’s Red and White Sumeet Mixer. The grand old Panasonic tape-recorder.. My father recorded “Senthil-Goundamani” comedies in cassettes and play it in the night apart from his old songs. My dad just cannot cease listening and singing/recording his kind of MGR, Sivaji songs. My sleep was incomplete without listening to the “Vazhapazham comedy” every night. TV – we had Orson but most of the homes had Solidaire. “Mile sur mera tumhara”, Rangoli, Bajaj Scooter Ad, Ramayan. DD was the only channel. The antenna in the roof-top needs adjustments every now and then to get some quality cable output in the TV. The “hero ranger” cycle was probably one best thing that happened in my childhoods.
Pandiyan was probably the first movie (also Rajini Movie) I watched in theater. Late – eighties were Illayaraja’s magical days. Early nineties saw the generations biggest musical transition to AR Rahman. Mid nineties had some great film songs apart from the AR Rahman musicals.
Late nineties saw a bunch of people in-front of American Consulates waiting for hours to get a visa. Always wondered why they were standing for hours like this and what’s there in America. Early 2000s saw the computers and internet coming in to common people in India. I initially thought all those hunderds and hunderds of people who were standing in the consulate lines were basically assembling computers in America in order to export them to world. Eventually IT services grew rapidly contributing to a severe price raise.
Late 2000s saw a lot of changes. Average working hours among youngsters has increased significantly leaving them with less time towards their family, personal lifestyle and health. Living conditions in cities have worsened with increased population, pollution and traffic coupled with no power.
Our next generation might not even have time or patience to listen to our stories. Just thought to put it out here.
Bolt and Nuts 