Songs that set the mood at Numaish

Hyderabad: From the scents and tastes to the sounds, the Numaish is all about nostalgia for many. Whether it is the aroma of the ‘kebabs’ wafting through the air, or the mouthwatering sight of the craftily arranged ‘jilebis’ or the array of different ‘chaat’ items, or the sounds of the shopkeepers calling out to customers […]

Hyderabad: From the scents and tastes to the sounds, the Numaish is all about nostalgia for many.

Whether it is the aroma of the ‘kebabs’ wafting through the air, or the mouthwatering sight of the craftily arranged ‘jilebis’ or the array of different ‘chaat’ items, or the sounds of the shopkeepers calling out to customers or the public announcements that keep coming, asking people to be wary of pickpockets, the Numaish is not just about shopping. And a major part of this nostalgia for most in the city is the radio station.

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Beginning from 5 pm, songs of the golden era, those of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar keep floating through the evening air, with Ajay Kumar Jaiswal, who manages the radio station, carefully choosing each song from his collection of a few thousand songs. The songs continue till the last light is switched off on the Exhibition Grounds.

“A prayer song is the first to be played on the radio station while the last song, as a practice, is ‘Chalte Chalte… Yun Hi Koi Mil Gaya Tha’ from the 1972-movie Pakeezah. The last song is also a signal for traders to that time is up,” says Ajay Kumar, who is the third generation from his family to be associated with the radio station.

A music lover himself, Ajay Kumar admires Rafi and Mangeshkar, and that reflects in his daily choice of songs as well.

“At least a half a dozen songs of Rafi Saheb and Lataji are played at the radio station every day. People love them and sometimes come to the radio station with a request,” he says.

Depending upon the weather, the mood of the crowd and the festive occasion, the songs are selected and played.

“We find several people coming to the venue just to sit and listen to the songs. Most of them are above 50 years of age,” Exhibition convenor Ashwin Margam says.

The radio station is managed by a few announcers and other support staff. It also airs short commercials apart from making announcements of children who accidentally get separated from their parents or guardians at the venue.

 

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