In the digital age where small is beautiful, the new generation may be oblivious to the existence of huge contraptions with shutters that used to be operated only under the strict supervision of the head of the family, mostly to listen to classical music, news over AIR, light music over Vividh Bharati or running commentary on cricket and hockey matches.
Radios may be making a comeback, but they are not what they used to be two decades ago. They have shrunk in size or have ceased to have an independent identity as they are built into mobile phones or vehicles.
In an attempt to preserve radio sets for posterity, G.D. Narasimha of Mysuru set off on a strange task fueled by passion to collect discontinued sets. With nearly 250 radio sets of different eras in his collection, Narasimha is on the lookout for more to expand his collection and plans to establish a radio museum in the city.
As a hobbyist and a radiophile, who intends to add to his collection of radio sets of a bygone era, Narasimha has spent over Rs. 3 lakh so far in acquiring his prized possessions. “I got hooked to it about 20 years ago when my father, an avid radio listener, had trouble with his set. Out of curiosity, I dismantled it to discover the world of electronics and soon I was bitten by the radio bug,” said Narasimha, a resident of Vijayanagar in Mysuru.
This strange passion for vintage radios led him to collect models of various brands though he is modest about his range. “I do not have all the vintage models and am focusing on collecting as many as possible,” he said.
Most of his collections are drawn from well-known brands such as Philips, Sanyo, Sony, besides a working model of a radiogram, which combines a radio with a record player.
And in this nano age where portability matters, a giant two-in-one set, which requires two people to lift, is a set to behold.
“Since there is no place in my house, it is stored at my friend’s shop on Sayyaji Rao Road. It will be dusted and arranged to showcase a collection sometime in the future,” Narasimha said.