This is from a time when most homes had black-and-white TVs, and wives came in shades of black, white, and wheatish. Whether or not the husband liked her, as long as she was accepted by the family, it was enough. TV hadn’t reached every household yet.
It was considered improper to go to others’ homes to watch movies or dramas. The house in the neighborhood that had a TV or a telephone was automatically given VIP status. By evening, the courtyard of such homes would fill up with neighboring women and children, all gathering to watch their favorite dramas. Any child who made noise or spoke was taken by the ear and put outside.
Lately, memories of the past have been resurfacing, perhaps due to “the magic of the season,” and old memories of visiting a neighbor’s house to watch dramas come alive in my heart. I was a “well-behaved child,” so I was never thrown out by the ear, thankfully. To be praise Allah Lord of the worlds.
My memories aren’t that old; we got a TV in 1995. When I recall that time now, I think about how rare and precious it was. The great actors of that era, with their powerful and brilliant performances, brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Remembering them today stirs a sense of longing in my heart. Today, I intend to take my older friends on a journey down memory lane.
So, the story goes like this: Recently, Arshad Nadeem won a gold medal, and an Indian athlete won silver. I felt both happiness and disappointment, wishing our country had developed enough in sports to claim both gold and silver. Because there was a time when we did have both gold and silver. I’m not talking about Olympic medals; I’m talking about Munnu Bhai’s 1980s drama series Sona Chandi.
This drama aired before I was born. It premiered on April 16, 1982, while I came into the world in 1988. When I grew up, I saw amazing dramas and heard people say that nothing compared to Sona Chandi. I always wished to watch it.
Finally, YouTube fulfilled this wish. I watched five episodes just yesterday. Though the drama is categorized as comedy, it beautifully highlights many real aspects of society.
